A traitor can't be my son: Here's what suspected terrorist's father said

Sartaj said Saifullah had left home about two-and-a-half months back after he beat him up for not finding work and not listening to him. Photo: ABP News

NEW DELHI: "A traitor cannot be my son, straight and simple," said Sartaj, the father of suspected ISIS terrorist Saifullah who was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh police today. Sartaj refused to take the body of his slain son, saying, "A traitor cannot be related to me, let alone be my son." Saifullah was killed in Lucknow this morning in an exchange of fire with the police after a 12-hour stand-off. He was suspected to be linked with the blast in the Bhopal-Ujjain train yesterday, police said. Speaking to reporters, Sartaj emphasised, "We are Indian citizens. I was born here, my ancestors were born here." He said he had heard this morning about the death of his son in the encounter. Sartaj said Saifullah had left home about two-and-a-half months back after he beat him up for not finding work and not listening to him. "On Monday, I got a call from Saifullah, who told me that he had got a visa to visit Saudi (Arabia) and he was preparing to go there. I told him go ahead," the father said. Superintendent of Police (Kanpur City) Somen Verma said Saifullah's family was contacted but they refused to take the body. He added that the police may again make an attempt to convince the family about it. Meanwhile, the father of two other men, who have been arrested on terror-related charges, has claimed that they were innocent and has sought a fair probe.