Jammu and Kashmir police today said it has evidence to prove that the conspiracy to kill Shujaat Bukhari, senior journalist and editor of Rising Kashmir, was hatched in Pakistan and the operation was executed by three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in Kashmir.
The police also released pictures of the four LeT militants involved in the planning and execution of Bukhari's murder on June 14, outside his office at Press Enclave in Srinagar along with his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs).
IGP Kashmir S.P. Pani said Lashkar operative Sajad Gul, who had launched a social media campaign against Bukhari, is based in Pakistan and the police will seek the Interpol's help to get him arrested.
The other three who executed the plan includes two local militants, Azad Ahmed Malik from Anantnag and Muzaffar Ahmed from Kulgam in south Kashmir, and Naveed Jat of Pakistan.
“Gul was arrested by Delhi police in 2003 and then again by Kashmir police in 2016,” Pani said. “After getting passport fraudulently he left the country in 2017 and is now in Pakistan.”
He said Gul was behind the vicious social media campaign against Bukhari and he has also operated a twitter account under the name, Ahmed Khalid.
Jat escaped from Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) on February 6, after Lashkar militants attacked the police team, who had brought Jat to the hospital for a checkup.
Pani said they have tangible evidence to establish that the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan and was executed by the three Lashkar men in Kashmir.
Pani said the evidence they have collected with the cooperation of service providers establish the campaign against Bukhari was launched from Pakistan.
“At present, we have gone for lookout notice for the cooperation to apprehend Gul,” Pani said. “We will also approach the Interpol for his arrest.”
About the suspect Zubair Qayoom, the man who was arrested after he was seen fiddling with the body of one of the Personal Security Officer (PSO) in the SUV in which Bukhari and two of his PSOs were killed, IGP said his role is being investigated.