Pathankot attack: On Dec 31, 9 Pakistan calls on taxi driver’s phone; one incoming, eight outgoing

With questions being asked on how six terrorists managed to reach Pathankot airbase undetected, Punjab police began probing the “possible role of a smuggler-terrorist nexus” as a facilitator. Police are also studying nine phone calls to Pakistan — the first was an incoming call and the other eight were calls made to Pakistan — from the mobile phone of taxi driver Ikagar Singh whose body was found at a spot before the Katloh bridge over the Ravi.

Senior officers told that the first call was made to Ikagar from Pakistan on New Year’s Eve and, after a gap of about half-an-hour, as many as eight calls were made to Pakistan from his phone.

Sources said police went through phone call details of Ikagar and found that he received a call from Pakistan which was followed by eight calls made to the other side in quick succession.

“Had it been the other way round, that is, if the first call was made from his phone to the other side, we would have thought his phone was used by the terrorists. But his receiving a call had us interested,” sources said.

“We cannot rule out anything at this juncture. That is why we checked his call details of one year but there was no call made to Pakistan or received by him from there. We are investigating… The story he gave his family about taking someone to a hospital turned out to be untrue… It is too early to say anything but we are looking at every angle,” sources said.

Meanwhile, police have also checked on the claims of Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh who said he had been abducted by terrorists and dumped.

“It is true that he had gone to the religious place in Narot Jaimal Singh he mentioned. This was verified from the managers there. He narrated the whole story to police several times. We are yet to decide what is to be done next. Everything cannot be disclosed at this juncture as this could affect investigations,” police sources said.