An Afghan national, who was deported to his country from Nagpur in June this year after he was found staying here illegally, was claimed to have joined the Taliban after his picture holding a rifle surfaced on social media.
However, the Police Commissioner of Nagpur recently told ANI that the man's identity is yet to be confirmed.
"One Noor Mohammad was arrested and deported to Afghanistan after found living here without documents. No information on what he's doing there. Can't tell if he's the same man," he said.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan as it swept into capital Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
"The man, Noor Mohammad Ajiz Mohammad, 30, was found staying in Nagpur since the last 10 years illegally. He was living in a rented place in Dighori area of the city. Acting on a tip-off, the police had started keeping a watch on his activities. He was finally nabbed and deported to Afghanistan on June 23," a senior police official said on Friday.
"After his deportation, he seems to have joined the Taliban and his photo holding a gun has emerged on social media," he added.
During the probe earlier, police had found that he had come to Nagpur in 2010 on a six-month tourist visa. Later, he had applied to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) seeking a refugee status for himself, but his application was rejected. His appeal was also turned down by the UNHRC. Since then, he stayed in Nagpur illegally, the official said.
Another police official said that Noor Mohammad's original name is Abdul Haque and his brother was working with the Taliban. Last year, Noor had floated a video on social media with a sharp-edged weapon.
After he was nabbed, police found that he had "entry and exit wounds" from a gunshot near his left shoulder, he said, adding that when his social media accounts were checked, it was found that he was following some terrorists whose videos of gun firing were available on social media.
"He was in the business of selling blankets and was unmarried. Police conducted searches at his rented accommodation, but did not find anything suspicious. His call details are also under the scanner of the police," the official said.
(With inputs from ANI)
