Belif added: “Shabbir told them he was originally from Kosamba area, and the cops remarked : ‘Abhi abhi toh wahan se bomb mile hain’.”

Belif, currently in Mumbai, managed to videograph the conversation with policemen on his mobile phone. “The cops asked Belif to show his driving licence, and his sister and husband, their passports. They did not carry their passports. They immediately asked all of us to get out of the site, “ says Belif’s driver Hanif Banwa, who was with them.

Belif’s family friend Zuber Nanbava says they asked the grilling cops for the phone numbers of local police authorities to sort out the misunderstanding. “But we were given wrong numbers and clearly misguided,” he says.

Narmada district Superintendent of Police (SP) Khurshid Ahmed claimed the tourists were sent back only because they had entered after the 6 pm deadline. However, the entry pass issued for the Attarwala family by the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) has logged 4:55 pm, Sunday. The pass issued for Belif’s family shows the time as 4:27 pm, Monday.

When contacted by The Indian Express, senior police officers said they would make amends. “We will invite back all those who were turned away to visit the place,” said SP Ahmed.

“The issue will be taken up soon with SSNNL Chief Executive Engineer since the SSNNL tourism department has lodged a complaint with us,” said G M Tadvi, Deputy Collector in charge of Narmada district. “A report regarding ill-treatment of Muslim tourists has been submitted to me by the SSNNL Public Relation Office. I will order an inquiry soon,” he added.

... contd.