The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted search operation inside the fortified Srinagar Central jail and recovered incriminating material including cellphones and SIM cards. The operation was conducted under drone surveillance, an NIA spokesman said.
The search operation was apparently conducted in connection with the investigations handed over to the NIA in the case of escape of top terrorist commander Naveed Jatt who shot dead two police personnel escorting him at a premier Srinagar hospital last month. Jatt had complained of ill-health and was being taken to the health facility where he escaped with active support of some overground workers. Police later claimed that Jatt’s accomplices were arrested. However, Jatt himself joined militants and is reportedly active in south Kashmir. However, NIA did not mention Naveed jatt’s escape as the reason for the jail raids.
“20 NIA teams assisted by the J&K Police, CRPF and the NSG personnel carried out an extensive search inside the Central Jail Srinagar. These teams were also accompanied by Magistrates, witnesses and doctors, an NIA spokesman said adding the search was carried out in connection with investigation of NIA case RC 07/2018/NIA/DlI (Arrest of Danish Gulam lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat by Kupwara Police) in which it was found that fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed terrorist organisation, were being sent across for arms training in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail Srinagar.
“The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon. All the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors. A close watch on the entire operation was kept with the help of drones,” the spokesman said.
He said that during the search, 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, 05 SD cards, 05 pen drives, 01 iPod and large number of incriminating documents/articles including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag besides jihadi literature were seized.
The State Government has already shifted several top separatist leaders including Muslim Deeni Mahaz ideologue Ashiq Hussain Faktoo alias Muhammad Qasim from the central jail to Jammu.