4 men found outside CBI chief's home belong to IB, were on 'routine covert' duties: MHA
New Delhi, Nov 25 : Four men belonging to the Intelligence Bureau were caught outside the official residence of CBI director Alok Verma, who has been divested of his powers and sent on leave, officials said Thursday.
While Home Ministry officials said the four men were on "routine, covert" duties in the high security area outside Verma's 2 Janpath residence, sources said they were taken away by police and questioned.
The IB is entrusted with the responsibility of collecting intelligence on situations that may affect public order and internal security. Among other things, its units are "routinely" deployed in "sensitive areas", a Home Ministry official said.
At times, this is done in association with local law enforcement agencies, and at other times, a surprise element is built in, he added.
This also enables law enforcement agencies to respond immediately to developing situations. The officials carry their identity cards since they are on "routine duties", he explained.
"This is unlike surveillance, which is done without any visible appurtenances. One unit, in the early hours of today, halted at Janpath where there was an unusual collection of people," the official said.
This was with a view to check why people had collected at the location.
"This is a high security zone where several protectees reside. Unfortunately, their presence was projected otherwise," another official said.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar live near the CBI director's official residence.
Though police sources said the men were being interrogated, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma denied that police had detained and questioned them.
In an unprecedented shake-up in the CBI's 55-year-history, both Verma and his deputy, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, were divested of their powers and sent on leave in a dramatic overnight action by the government Tuesday night.
Verma knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court Wednesday, challenging the government's decision. The apex court agreed to hear his plea on Friday.
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Humanity trumps terror: Kashmiri guide saves lives of children of Chhattisgarh tourists
Raipur, Apr 24 (PTI): Risking his own life, a Kashmiri tourist guide saved the lives of children from a group of tourists from Chhattisgarh when terrorists struck in Pahalgam on Tuesday.
Nazakat Ahmad Shah (28) was acting as a guide to a group of 11, four couples and three children, from Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district in Chhattisgarh during their Kashmir trip.
Shah's own cousin was killed in the attack that claimed the lives of 26 persons, he told PTI over phone on Thursday.
Arvind Agrawal, one of the tourists, posted pictures of him and his daughter with Shah on his social media handle and wrote, "You saved our lives by risking your own, we will never be able to repay the debt of Nazakat Bhai." As per his Facebook profile, Agrawal is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha- a youth wing of the BJP.
Besides the Agrawals, families of Kuldeep Sthapak, Shivansh Jain and Happy Wadhavan were part of the group.
Shah sells shawls in Chirmiri town of Chhattisgarh in winter, and therefore knew these families.
"They reached Jammu on April 17 and I received them and took them to Kashmir in two vehicles. I took them to Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and in the last leg we decided to visit Pahalgam," he said.
"Pahalgam was to be the last venue as my village is close by, and I wanted to host them, because Kashmiris have a passion for hospitality," Shah said.
"We reached Baisran around 12:00 noon. My tourists were busy with pony rides and clicking pictures. Around 2 pm I told Lucky (Kuldeep) that we are getting late, so we should go. He replied we will go after clicking some more pictures. While we were talking, we heard gunshots and initially we thought it was the sound of firecrackers.
"Suddenly, we realized it was gunshots. There were thousands of tourists who were running here and there in panic," he said.
"My first concern was the safety of the tourist families. I took Lucky's kid and another child and laid down on the ground. The area was fenced so it was not easy to escape. I noticed a small opening and asked the families to move out through that opening. They asked me to save the children first. I slipped through it with the two kids, and ran towards Pahalgam town," he said.
After depositing the children in a safe place, he returned to the spot and escorted out the others safely. "Thanks to Allah, I took all our 11 guests safely to Pahalgam," Shah said.
Adil Hussain, the son of his maternal uncle, was killed in the terror attack but he could not attend his final rites as he decided to escort the tourists back, he said.
"I knew them (Kuldeep and others) for several years as earlier I used to accompany my father to Chirmiri to sell shawls. I wanted my guests saved even if I did not survive," said Shah, who has two daughters.
Like Agrawal, Sthapak also shared his and his family's pictures with Shah on social media, and hailed him profusely for saving their lives.
"A letter written from the heart to Nazakat Bhai...My brother, the passion and bravery with which you rescued us from there is still echoing in my ears. There was chaos, gunshots, screams and the shadow of death all around. No ordinary person can do that. The humanity you showed by putting your life at stake is beyond words. I will be grateful to you all my life. I can never forget this favor," he wrote in Hindi on his Facebook page.
Sthapak also said he was concerned about Shah's own safety. "People will debate about religion and caste, but who will take care of Nazakat Bhai, who presented the most beautiful example of humanity? The heart becomes restless thinking about this," he said.
Shah picked up his child, sat him on his shoulders and ran 14 km on dangerous hills, Sthapak said.
"Nazakat bhai, you not only saved my life that day, you kept humanity alive. I will never forget you for the rest of my life," he added.
Sthapak's wife is a BJP corporator in Chirmiri town.
नजाकत खान जैसे लोग इंसानियत की मिशाल हैं।
— Dr Monika Singh (@Dr_MonikaSingh_) April 24, 2025
पहलगाम आतंकी हमले में 28 लोगों की मौत हो गई. वहीं इस बीच हमले के दौरान अपनी बहादुरी से 11 लोगों की जान बचाने वाले नज़ाकत अहमद शाह ने आंखों देखी पूरी घटना बयां की है और साथ ही उन्होंने बताया कि कैसे उन्होंने लोगों की जान बचाई... pic.twitter.com/QXxyAmlfPG
