SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has taken over probe of the escape of Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Naveed Jhatt from SMHS hospital in Srinagar, on Thursday took into custody five accused arrested by police for their alleged role in escape of the Pakistani militant from the police captivity.
A spokesman of NIA said the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar today granted a two-day transit remand of the five accused arrested by police for their involvement in escape of 22-year-old LeT militant Naveed Jhatt alias Abu Hanzalla from police captivity in SMHS hospital in Srinagar on February 6.
A day after Naveed’s escape, police had arrested five persons including Shakeel Ahmed Bhat, Tika Khan, Syed Tajamul Islam, Mohammed Shafi Wani and Jan Mohammed Ganai and claimed that they had conspired and were involved in the Naveed’s escape from police captivity in the hospital.
Militants had attacked the police guards of Naveed inside SMHS hospital in Srinagar when he was brought there for medical check-up from Central Jail Srinagar.
The militants killed two policemen guarding Naveed and managed to free him.
A day after his escape, Naveed released pictures with Hizbul Mujahideen commanders Sameer Tiger and Riyaz Naikoo.
The NIA spokesman said five accused would be produced before the NIA Special Court at Jammu tomorrow for seeking their police custody.
According to sources Naveed, who was arrested by security forces in 2014 from south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, is planning a major car bomb attack in the Valley.
They said Naveed is hiding in south Kashmir and may take over as LeT commander of the Valley after killing of top commanders of the outfit in security forces operation last year.
After Naveed’s escape from the police captivity, most of the Pakistani prisoners in Valley have been shifted to Jammu and police chief has directed the cops to take the prisoners to police hospital for medical check-up and if the doctors recommend that the prisoners should be referred to any hospital, then only the prisoners should be taken to medical check-up for other hospitals.
Meanwhile, Director General Prisons, Dilbagh Singh, has been visiting the jails in Jammu to conduct the security audit of the prisons.
Singh was appointed as DG Prisons after Naveed's escape and has so far visited the Ambphalla and Kotebalwal jails in Jammu.