Majid Arshid Khan, a young footballer from Kashmir who joined militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba on 10 November, has surrendered to the police, according to reports.
Khan, a resident of Anantnag town, announced through a video on Facebook, in which he was seen carrying an AK-47 rifle, that he was joining the terrorist organisation. Everyone recognised him in the video as he was a well-known sportsperson in his locality. Khan had worked with an NGO as well.
Munir Khan, Jammu and Kashmir IG, however, contradicted the media reports of Majid’s surrender and arrest.
Neither has he surrendered, nor has he been apprehended. He has come back to his family on his own. His mother, father and friends were instrumental in bringing him back.Munir Khan
Hailing his decision, Major General BS Raju, GOC Victor Force, told the media that they were intimated by the family that Majid wants to come back, and they wanted to make sure that he is brought back safely. He also said that the people who have joined militancy should follow Majid’s example and come back.
Friends, Family Shocked
Majid joining the militant group shocked his friends and family. Police said he had joined the LeT as he already had links with militant workers on the ground. His friends say he changed after one of his close friends, Yawar Nissar, was shot dead in an encounter with the armed forces in August this year, the Indian Express reported.
He participated in the funeral of his friend and wept till his friend’s body was laid to rest. After that, he was a changed person.Majid’s friend to the Indian Express
Majid's relatives and friends had appealed to him on social media to return to his parents. His friends took to his Facebook timeline to persuade him as his parents were inconsolable.
A Mother’s Appeal
A video of Majid's mother crying and begging her son to return had even gone viral. The Indian Express reported that Majid was last seen carrying an AK-47 on Wednesday, 15 November, at the funeral of another militant, Muzamil, who was killed in an encounter on 14 August.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter to express her happiness.
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