NIA gets custody of five people accused of involvement in militant Naveed Jaat's escape from Srinagar hospital

Jammu: The five accused arrested in connection with Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jatt’s escape from a city hospital were on Friday remanded in seven-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody by a special court in Jammu, an official said. [caption id=“attachment_4342817” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The special NIA court granted seven days of remand of all the five accused who were nabbed by the Jammu and Kashmir police on 8 February, two days after Jhatt alias Abu Hanzalla escaped from the busy SMHS hospital, a Spokesperson for the agency said. Jatt had managed to escape on 6 February after at least two other militants attacked a police escort team at the hospital, where he was brought in for treatment. Two policemen — head constable Mushtaq Ahmed and constable Babar Ahmed — of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed by Jatt and his accomplice during their escape. All the five accused — Shakeel Ahmed Bhat, Tika Khan, Syed Tajamul Islam, Mohammed Shafi Wani and Jan Mohammed Ganai — were charged with conspiring the escape of 22-year-old Jhatt. All of them are residents of Pulwama in south Kashmir. The NIA has re-registered the case in Jhatt’s escape. The accused will be produced before the specially-designated NIA special court in Jammu on Saturday, when the police will seek his custody, , the Spokesperson said. According to the police, Bhat is believed to be one of the masterminds of the escape plan and his motorcycle was used in it. Khan, a resident of Pulwama, is alleged to have provided his car for further transportation of Jhatt out of the city, the police said. Jhatt is at present believed to be in Pulwama area, they said. Shafi, who is from Narbal on the outskirts of Srinagar city, had posed as a patient to provide cover for the terrorists’ escape.