'Matter of concern', says Gajendra Shekhawat on arrest of former Rajasthan Minister's aide on spying charges

Jaipur, May 29 Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Thursday, described the arrest of Shakur Khan, the Personal Assistant of former Rajasthan Minister and MLA Saleh Mohammad, on espionage charges as a matter of grave concern.

Speaking to media, the Union Minister said, "I have just come from a foreign tour and have been informed that the Personal Assistant of Saleh Mohammad, who has been a former Minister, has now been arrested."

He demanded that all those links connected with Khan should be investigated at the earliest and strict action should be taken against those compromising with the security of the country.

Khan was detained on Wednesday night by an Intelligence department team who were acting on security-related inputs.

Khan, who works in the district employment office, was found to have phone numbers associated with Pakistan stored on his device, an official said.

"There were inputs about Shakur Khan that he could be involved in spying for Pakistan. He was on surveillance following inputs and was detained last night," the official added.

A joint questioning was conducted in Jaisalmer following which the Intelligence department team left for Jaipur with Khan.

According to sources, the 'spy' Shakur Khan was working as a Personal Assistant to former Minister Mohammad under the previous Congress government in Rajasthan.

Khan and Mohammad's villages are nearly eight kilometre away from one another, they said.

Mohammad has been a two-time MLA, a Minister, and has fought four elections under the leadership of the previous Ashok Gehlot government.

He is currently the representative of India of the 'Pir Pagara' (a title given to the leader of the Muslim Sufi order of Hurs in Pakistan's Sindh) of Pakistan.

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