While India is demanding the custody of Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Moulana Masood Azhar alias Adam Issa for his involvement in cross-border terror in the country, security agencies had earlier failed to find anything substantial against the top terrorist when he remained lodged in high-security jails in Jammu and Kashmir for over five years, until he was finally let off along with two others in exchange for 150 passengers during the 1999 Kandahar crisis.

Azhar, who had been arrested along with another dreaded terrorist Sajjad Afghani, chief commander of the Harkat-ul-Ansar (HUA) in the Valley, for entering India on a fake Portguese passport, was not tried even for illegal entry into the country. Azhar was at the time the first general secretary of the HUA. His entry was rather dramatic, given that unlike using the Line of Control route, in January 1994, he actually flew into New Delhi from Dhaka as a Gujarat-born Portuguese national, Wali Adam Issa. A month later, he was caught while travelling on a two-wheeler along with Afghani.

However, the police failed to build a substantial case against him. Even an offence registered against him under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act in 1998 was dismissed by the designated TADA Court at Jammu a few days before his release at Kandahar as the prosecution failed to present a challan against him despite repeated chances given by the judge. While dismissing the case against Azhar, the court, sources said, had directed the prosecution to deport him to his native country.

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