By Anand Singh

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS): Even six years after announcing a reward of Rs two lakh on absconding Delhi Police Special Cell alleged informer Sabir Khan Pathan, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is still unable to trace him.

Pathan is wanted for falsely framing a Jammu and Kashmir resident Sayyad Liyaqat Shah, whom the Special Cell had arrested in 2013 on charges of being a Hizb-ul Mujahideen member.

An NIA official privy to the development of the case said, "Pathan is still absconding." The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh against Pathan alias Munna -- a resident of Madhya Pradesh -- in September 2015. He has been on the run since 2013.

The NIA in its charge sheet in 2015 has named absconder Pathan as the main accused, who had allegedly planted weapons on Shah to project him as a terrorist. The agency had absolved Shah of terror charges in January 2015 and had also submitted its report to Home Ministry seeking permission to investigate some Delhi Police officials for allegedly "conspiring" to target Shah.

NIA has termed Pathan as "an informer cum follower" of the Delhi Police Special Cell in its charge sheet.

Shah was arrested by the Special Cell of the police on March 20, 2013 when he was returning from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to the Kashmir Valley via Nepal at Sunauli border with his wife and children.