Lucknow: Pak spy's two suspected aides held

Two men, suspected to have helped an alleged Pakistani spy in procuring passport and driving licence using forged documents, were arrested on Tuesday by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh police in Lucknow.

The duo, identified as Mohd Arshad alias Arshu and Chaand, were arrested from the old city area on charges of assisting Syed Amir Ali (36), who was nabbed at Delhi's IGI airport on Saturday, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A K Jain told PTI in Lucknow.

He said the two accused were touts, who prepared fake papers including address proof, which were used by Ali, alias Jabbar to obtain the passport and other documents, including a driving licence.

The ADG said the two were being interrogated. A senior police officer in Delhi said the two were caught by a joint team of Delhi Police's Special Cell and UP's ATS. There were reports about a third arrest but police have not confirmed it.

While the seized passport was issued under the name of 'Syed Amir Ali', the licence was in the name of 'S A Ali', the Delhi Police officer said.

Official sources said investigators are probing whether Arshad had bribed passport and transport department officials to get these documents for Ali.

Ali, who the police says hails from Karachi, was caught while trying to board a flight to Damman in Saudi Arabia allegedly using the fake passport he procured from Lucknow.