Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 12: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today raided the Central Jail in Srinagar and seized over two dozen mobile phones, jehadi literature and a Pakistani flag apart from data and hardware.
At least 20 teams of the Central probe agency, with Commandos of the NSG and drones hovering over the Jail, searched the barracks and open ground of the high-security prison that housed some of the most wanted militants including those from Pakistan.
The searches were carried out in connection with an investigation over the arrest of two youths in Kupwara — Danish Ghulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat. The two youth had claimed that the fresh recruits of Al-Badr oufit were being sent across to Pakistan for arms training in and the conspiracy is being hatched from inside the Central Jail, Srinagar.
The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon during which 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 was kept on the entire operation with the help of drones.
The NIA spokesman said that the NIA teams were also accompanied by Magistrates, witnesses and doctors. He said that the search was carried out in connection with investigation of NIA case RC07/2018/NIA/DLI.
He said that during the searches, 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, five SD cards, five pen drives, one iPod and large number of incriminating documents/articles including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag besides jehadi literature were seized
The Agency is investigating the escape of Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander, Mohammad Naveed Jutt, who escaped from SMHS hospital Srinagar on February 6 and conspiracy for this was hatched inside the Central Jail.
Around 50 jailed militants including LeT commanders were shifted out of the jail after the escape of Naveed. The Superintendent of the Jail, Hilal Ahmad Rather, was suspended after Naveed’s escape and Mukesh Kumar Kakar was posted as Jail Superintendent.
The recoveries at the Central Jail come at a time when the security has been tightened and large numbers of the inmates were shifted out of the Jail for security reasons. The recoveries have put a question mark on the security of the Central Jail.
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