The Jammu and Kashmir Police late on Saturday night picked up a state government employee and his wife for questioning to explore their possible links with the Mumbai terror strikes.

Showkat, a resident of Bhaderwah, is posted as Junior Assistant in the Municipal Committee in Doda town, sources informed, while adding that one of his close relatives is a Hizbul Mujahideen militant.

Sources said the militant has been identified as Ghulam Ahmed, also a resident of Doda district, and a cousin of Showkat’s wife whose brother, Abdul Majid, is also under the scanner. Majid is working in Mumbai, most likely with one of the top hotels targeted by terrorists in Mumbai, sources added. The couple was reportedly apprehended after Showkat was found to have made some calls to Mumbai.

However, the couple has maintained that they severed their relationship with Ghulam Ahmed after he became a militant. While Showkat’s wife was let off after preliminary questioning, Showkat is still in police custody.