Conspiracy to free LeT militant planned in jail four months ago

SRINAGAR: The 'conspiracy' to free Muhammad Naveed Jutt, alias Abu Hanzala, was hatched inside Srinagar Central Jail about four months before it was executed outside the OPD of a Srinagar hospital on February 6.

Stating this, J&K's additional director general of police (ADGP) Munir Ahmed Khan said on Thursday that mobile phones played an important role towards effecting the dramatic escape of the Lashkar-e-Taiba's former deputy chief.

"During investigation, it has surfaced that the conspiracy was hatched a few months ago in Srinagar Central Jail by militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahedin active in Kashmir valley," he said at a news conference here on Thursday.

"However, the final planning to execute the same was made a few weeks ago at the residence of Tika Khan in Singu Narbal village of Pulwama," the police officer said.

According to him, the other conspirators were Hilal Ahmed Rather, Syed Tajamul, Shakil Ahmad Butt and Muhammad Shafi Wani--all residents of Pulwama district.

The ADGP said,  "It has been established that Hilal, Shakil and Khan were masterminds in the whole conspiracy. Khan has also been a frequent visitor to Central Jail Srinagar and was in contact with Naveed. He visited Central Jail on different pretexts.”

Khan who is officiating also as inspector general of police (Kashmir range) confirmed that Naveed opened fire at the policemen who were escorting him and five other prisoners to Srinagar's government-run SMHS hospital for routine check-up.

"Hilal Ahmed Rather, a Hizb-ul-Mujahedin militant who along with Naveed is at large, gave Naveed a pistol inside the casualty ward of the SMHS," he said.