SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be taken up investigation into the escape of top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant Naveed Jhatt alias Abu Hunzulla from the Srinagar hospital last week and a team of officials of the agency would be arriving in the summer capital tomorrow.
NIA spokesman said the agency today registered a case RC No 05/2018 regarding escape of LeT militant Naveed from police custody in SMHS hospital on February 6.
Naveed, who was arrested in 2014 from south Kashmir's Kulgam district, had escaped from the police custody on February 6 after militants attacked the police party accompanying him in the SMHS hospital, where he was brought for medical check-up from Central Jail, Srinagar
The militants had handed over a pistol to Naveed in the hospital premises and he and other militant fired on the policemen guarding him, killing two of them.
After his escape, Naveed released pictures with Hizbul Mujahideen commanders including Sameer Tiger, who was associate of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani.
“NIA team is arriving in Srinagar on Tuesday to take up the investigation of the case,” the NIA spokesman said.
Police have arrested four of the five alleged accused involved in freeing of Naveed from the police captivity and has alleged that the conspiracy to free the LeT militant was hatched in central jail Srinagar four months back.
However, police says the kingpin, who has joined Hizbul Mujahideen, is on the run.
The Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo in an audio message had claimed that militants of the outfit had freed Naveed from the hospital.
After the escape of the LeT commander from the police captivity, the State government has removed ADGP Kashmir Muneer Khan, who was also functioning as Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, and shifted him to home guard.
DIG of police south Kashmir S P Pani, who is 2000-batch IPS officer and served in NIA also, has been appointed as IGP Kashmir. He took over the charge of IGP today.
41-year-old Pani is the youngest officer to serve IGP Kashmir.