In a major breakthrough, police today arrested three persons in connection with the killing of Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadees president Moulvi Showkat Ahmad Shah in a blast last week.
In a major breakthrough, police today arrested three persons in connection with the killing of Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadees president Moulvi Showkat Ahmad Shah in a blast last week.
The arrested persons have been identified as Abdul Ghani Dar alias Abdullah Ghazali, President of 'Sautul Haq' (the voice of truth), a radical politico-religious outfit and two others -- Javed Ahmad Munshi and Nisar Ahmad Khan.
Shah was killed in an IED blast on April 8 as he was entering a mosque in Maisuma area of the city to lead Friday prayers.
The breakthrough was achieved after State intelligence worked on some clues gathered from the scene and zeroed in on the accused. The information was passed on to state police, which carried out the arrests.
'Sautul Haq' is a group of radical elements and many of them are also members of the Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadees.
"Members of the radical outfit and some other radical elements have been found to be behind the conspiracy (to kill Shah). It was an attempt by these elements to take control of Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadees," Kashmir inspector general of police SM Sahai said.
He said Ghazali had discussed the broad contours of the plan with Ashiq Hussain Faktoo alias Dr Qasim, husband of Asiya Indrabi -- chief of radical women's outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
Faktoo is currently lodged in central jail here and the plan was discussed during a visit paid by Ghazali to him.
The IGP said Jameel-ur-Rehman, general secretary of United Jehad Council -- a PoK-based amalgam of militant outfits -- was also in touch with the conspirators.
"The actual execution of the plan was left to Munshi alias Billa Papa, who had sought help of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abdullah Uni," Sahai said.
He said Munshi received some materials used in the IED from the Lashkar commander and got other parts locally.
"The actual triggering of the blast was entrusted to Khan alias Ishaq," he said.
Munshi, a former militant, was trying to revive the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen outfit in the Valley.
Shah was perceived as against sectarianism and his work in education sector was seen as a compromise.
"When they failed to dislodge him through (organisational) elections, a conspiracy was hatched to eliminate him in 2010," Sahai said, adding Shah's proximity to certain separatist leaders was not liked by radical elements.
Shah had developed close association with JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and was seen as a peacenik.
For the first time in two decades of militancy, mainstream politicians, including BJP national leaders, visited the family of a slain separatist leader and did not face any resistance from the people present there.
Among those who had visited Shah's residence were chief minister Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, former BJP president Rajnath Singh, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shahnawaz Hussain.
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