Arrested militant killed in grenade attack to free him in Jammu and Kashmir; two cops suspended

SRINAGAR: A militant, who was attempting to escape from police captivity in veil (burqa), was killed and a policeman injured after militants lobbed a grenade towards police station Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday to pave way for militant’s escape.

Police have suspended two cops for laxity in duty in the attempted escape bid of militant.

A police officer said a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mushtaq Chopan, who was in custody of Police Station Tral, tried to escape from the police station wearing burqa.

“When he reached near the main gate, someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention of police and pave for him to escape from the police captivity,” he said.

The officer said the grenade exploded in the police station, causing death of the detenue and injury to police constable Mehraj-ud-din.

The injured cop was evacuated to army hospital in Srinagar, where doctors have termed his condition as out of danger.

The official said magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident to probe how he was escaping are being looked into.

DIG south Kashmir Amit Kumar told New Indian Express that police has launched investigation to ascertain how the militant in the police lock-up got hold of veil.

“We have suspended two police men including the munshi and lock-up incharge,” he said.

Kumar said as per preliminary investigation two ladies had come to met him yesterday and “we suspect that they may have handed over veil to him”.

“We are looking into the lapses and already initiated the internal inquiry,” he said adding action would be taken against those found to have shown laxity while performing duties.

He said the grenade attack on the police station looks like a planned attack to help the militant to escape from the police station.

“The militants lobbed the grenade to divert attention of the police in the police station to pave for the militant to escape,” he said.

Kumar said the grenade attack on police station was not an isolated incident but connected with the attempted escape of militant.

Today’s incident is the second such incident when a captured militant attempted to escape from police captivity.

On February 6, top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant Naveed Jhatt alias Abu Hunzulla escaped from police captivity in SMHS hospital in Srinagar after he and another militant, who was waiting for him in the hospital, killed two policemen guarding him.