Punjab police officer to sit face-to-face with friend, cook for NIA questioning

The three men will be made to sit face-to-face and answer questions.  The statements of the cook Madan Gopal and the jeweller Rajesh Verma are being recorded now.

According to the investigating officers, Singh's account of the alleged abduction, less than two days before six terrorists attacked the base, is marked by contradictions, which need to be removed to know the facts. Singh could undergo a polygraph or lie detector test.

Gurdaspur Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh has claimed they were waylaid, abducted and later released by the terrorists dressed in army fatigues on the night of December 31.

The terrorists took away his official car and used it to enter Pathankot, where they attacked the air force base on January 2.

Seven security personnel were martyred and 20 were injured in the attack. A lieutenant colonel of the elite National Security Guard's bomb disposal squad was among those martyred in the strike.

NIA teams are working across Punjab and are examining witnesses and carrying out search operations at the encounter site as well as outside the base, a spokesperson said.