NIA to examine jail staff and doctors

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been asked to probe the escape of dreaded LET terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt from a busy hospital in Srinagar, will investigate conspiracy angles, including how he got “favourable orders” from doctors and jail authorities, officials said here.

Senior home ministry officials said that on the Centre’s advice, the state has already shifted 25 terrorists, of which 16 are Pakistanis, to various jails outside the Kashmir valley since the escape of 22-year-old Jhatt, a Pakistani national who infiltrated into the valley in 2014.

The officials said the NIA probe will disclose the conspiracy angle and ascertain how such a dreaded terrorist managed to get favourable orders from jail authorities and doctors.

The home ministry has also asked the Jammu & Kashmir government to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report within 15 days on measures required for revamping security of jails in the state on the basis of inputs received from security agencies.

The NIA has already taken custody of five accused arrested in connection with Jhatt’s escape from the SMHS hospital and are at present on remand for seven days since February 16. The five accused were nabbed by the J&K Police on February 8, two days after Jhatt alias Abu Hanzalla escaped from the hospital. Jhatt had managed to escape on February 6 after at least two other militants attacked a police escort team at the hospital, where he was brought in for treatment.

Two policemen of the J&K Police were killed by Jhatt and his accomplice during their escape.