Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 8: Government today suspended the Superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail following dramatic escape of Lashkar-e-Toiba Commander Naveed Jhat from SMHS Hospital while Police achieved a major breakthrough by unearthing the escape plot of Naveed and arrested 16 militants and their Over Ground Workers in this connection.
Government today suspended Superintendent of Central Jail Srinagar, Hilal Ahmed Rather, two days after LeT commander escaped from SMHS Hospital after a shootout in which two cops were killed. Click here to watch video
“Pending enquiry into the incident on 6 February, 2018, at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, leading to the death of the two constables and escape of a militant, Hilal Ahmed Rather , Superintendent, Central Jail, Srinagar is hereby placed under suspension, with immediate effect,” a Government order said.
Mukesh Kumar Kakar was posted as new Superintendent of Central Jail Srinagar. “The services of Mukesh Kumar Kakar, Additional SP Police Component, Anantnag, are placed at the disposal of the Prisons Department with immediate effect. Consequent upon the above, Mukesh Kumar Kakar is posted as Superintendent, Central Jail, Srinagar,” the order said.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the escape of LeT commander from SMHS Hospital, picked up 16 militants and OGWs from South Kashmir and Budgam. Ten militants and OGWs were picked up from South Kashmir while six suspected were rounded up from Budgam.
However, Additional Director General Jammu and Kashmir Police and IG Kashmir, Muneer Khan told a press conference here that four persons including militants and OGWs were arrested in connection with the escape of Naveed.
“To expedite the investigations, a SIT has been constituted by DIG CKR, Srinagar. The SIT so constituted conducted initial investigation and during investigation names of the following terrorists and OGWs involved in the commission of this act of terror, have surfaced”, he said.
He said Shakeel Ahmad Bhat son of Mohammad Ramzan Bhat of Lelhar Kakapora Pulwama, Tika Khan son of Abdul Ahad Khan of Singu Narbal Pulwama, Syed Tajamul son of Syed Mohd Syed of Pahu Pulwama and Mohammad Shafi Wani son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Wani of Singu Narbal Pulwama were arrested while Hilal Ahmad Rather son of Ghulam Rather of Begam Bagh Khan Mohalla Kakapora, Pulwama is still at large. However, sources said that Rather has joined Hizbul Mujahideen.
Khan said that from the possession of Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Tika Khan a pistol each with ammunitions has been recovered. “During the course of investigation it was established that Hilal, Shakeel, Tika Khan were masterminds in the whole conspiracy. Tika Khan has also been a frequent visitor to Central Jail Srinagar and was in contact with Naveed Jhat. He visited Central Jail on different pretexts. Moreover, Naveed and rest of the gang were in communication using mobile devices during the conspiring stage”, he said.
He said that the escape of Naveed was hatched some months back from Central Jail and LeT and HM were actively involved in it. “However, the final planning to effect the conspiracy was done few weeks back at the residence of Tika Khan along with Hilal Ahmad Rather, Syed Tajamul, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Shafi Wani”, he said.
“It was decided that on the day of medical checkup of Naveed Jhat , Tika Khan along with Hilal Ahmad Rather, Syed Tajamul, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Shafi Wani will go to SHMS Hospital in Maruti Car bearing Registration No JK01J-9611 belonging to Mohammad Shafi of Singu Narbal Pulwama and a Pulsar bike belonging to Shakeel Ahmad Bhat of Lelhar Pulwama bearing registration No. CH01BB-3772. The vehicles have been recovered and seized”, he said.
Khan said that the accused as per the plan moved towards the SMHS Hospital Srinagar where Naveed Jhat was being taken for Medical Checkup. “The gang members took their respective position in and around SHMS Hospital premises and waited for the arrival of Naveed Jhat. At about 1130 hours police team carrying prisoner Naveed Jhat arrived in the hospital which was closely being monitored by the accused persons, who had mixed themselves with the attendants and patients”, he said.
“As Naveed Jhat was taken inside the hospital for medical checkup, the gang members rushed inside the hospital and fired on the cops carrying Naveed Jhat from very close range and taking advantage of huge rush of public, patients and attendants managed to escape, along with the Naveed Jhat from police custody. Other dimensions of conspiracy including the leakage of information about movement of terrorist Naveed to hospital is being thoroughly looked into”, Khan said.
Khan said that Hilal handed over pistol to Naveed in the hospital. “The hospital was full of patients and attendants. There were hundreds of people. Hilal was walking next to him and the investigation revealed that he handed over the pistol to him and Naveed easily put it in his pocket. The footage from the hospital clearly shows Naveed escaping with the pistol in his hand”, he said.
The IGP said that Police could have caught these militants or eliminate them but it could have caused civilian casualties. “It’s not we could not catch them. We could have fired in the hospital but we would have killed civilians. We are not terrorists and do not believe in killing the innocents. They killed two persons and killing more would not have bothered them”, he said.
“Keeping in view the huge rush of patients and attendants inside the SMHS Hospital, the policemen did not retaliate the fire just to avoid civilian casualties”, the IGP said.
“The other gang members were ready to receive the terrorist after escape. Accordingly after the escape, Naveed Jhat and Hilal Ahmad boarded the Pulsar bike driven by Shakeel Ahmad Bhat. The other gang members boarded Maruti car of Mohammad Shafi driven by Tika Khan and fled away from the spot”, said Khan.
The IGP said: “Later the escaped terrorist along with the above accused somehow managed to reach Pulwama and stayed at a hideout managed by Tika Khan for the night and on next day afternoon the said Pak terrorist Naveed Jhat and Hilal Ahmed left the place along with some associates whose identity is yet to be ascertained.”
The IGP said that the LeT tried to manage Naveed’s escape from Pulwama Court but failed and in this connection Hilal and Tika Khan met Naveed thrice in the Jail. “First they attempted his escape from the Pulwama Court but they couldn’t execute it. Naveed was first in Kathua and he was shifted here by the orders of the Court. They have used mobile phones and their visits were also established inside the jail. How it did all happen is a matter of investigation. Jail authorities have ordered an inquiry into the matter and our investigation is also underway. So far we have come to know that Hilal and Tika visited two-three times”, he said.
Khan said that the LeT wanted Naveed out as their top leadership was wiped out. “Whole leadership of LeT was wiped out with the killing of Dujana and Abu Ismail. There was no commander designated by LeT and maybe they wanted to name him as he has the potential to be a LeT commander. Maybe, he was an important person for them. One interesting thing in the whole episode was after the escape he has gone to a militant commander of Hizb. So it proves that they all operate together”, he said.
Khan said that in December nine Pakistanis were shifted to different jails of Jammu. “We were in the process of shifting others as well but the process was hampered when there was a stay order in two cases including this one”, he said.
In the meantime, a picture of Naveed Jhat has surfaced on the social media in which he is seen with Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Saddam Padder from Shopian posing for a picture and carrying AK-47 rifles.
And after escape of Naveed, Police today raided the Central Jail Srinagar and recovered mobile phones and laptops from jail imitates.
Police also shifted five detainees to various jails in Jammu division. Sources identified those shifted as Maqsood Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Ahmad of Mamoosa, Pattan, Danish Mushtaq son of Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh of Aaloosa Bandipora, Showkat Ahmad Vakil son of Ghulam Mohammad of Hajan, Nisar Ahmad Ganai son of Ghulam Mohammad of Palhallan, Pattan and Rayees Ahmad Mir son of Mohammad Maqbool of Aaloosa Bandipora.
In the meantime, four youths were arrested by Special Operation Group (SOG) of police in connection with alleged links with ISIS in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district today.
Four youths were arrested for questioning by SOG Bandipora in separate raids. They were under the surveillance of the Central Intelligence agencies and they accordingly appraised their counterparts here about the case.
The arrested persons were identified as Waqar Khan of Panzigam, Bandipora, Ashiq Hussain Dar son of Ghulam Ahmad of Handwara, Rizwan son of Mohammad Shafi of Shogpora, Handwara and Zeeshan Kalwal of Rainawari, Srinagar.
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Uttar Pradesh (UP) arrived yesterday to Bandipora and they questioned all the four persons in connection with their alleged ISIS links. However, sources said that investigators found that the youth used to share ISIS related posts on social media and preliminary investigations suggest that there was nothing ‘concrete’ against them.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
