Bhopal, Apr 8: The State police on Tuesday released the Delhi-based journalist, Nadeem Ahmad, after 42 hours detention. Nadeem was in the state to report on the recent arrests of activists of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and communal violence in the state, as per the instructions of the editor of The Milli Gazette, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan.

In an interview with Central Chronicle, Nadeem Ahmad said that on April 6, he went to Aroda village under Balwada Police Station area in Khargone district, from where the state police had seized a haul of arms recently, for reporting. When he reached the village, the villager, suspecting him as SIMI activist, surrounded him and then informed the Balwada police, he added.

On getting the information, the police station incharge Sunil Visthre along with the police force reached the village and took him into custody on April 6 at 9.00 pm and after sustained interrogation the police detained him, Nadeem said.

He said that inspector Sunil Visthre then took him to his Indore-based house and then again took him back to Balwada police station and finally on Wednesday at 12.30 noon released him from Balwada police station and sent him to Indore along with a constable on his motorcycle. The police constable sent Nadeem on a Bhopal bus at Indore.

Nadeem said that neither any case was registered nor any charge was made against him. On being asked as why he was detained by the police, Nadeem was unable to give a satisfactory reply. He said that the police of the state behaved with him very decently.

However, why the state police detained Nadeem Ahmad for such a long time is still shrouded in mystery and raises many an eyebrow about it's role.

The state government, apparently coming to know about the arrest of the journalist, following a story carried out by the Central Chronicle on Tuesday, expedited his release.