Srinagar: In a major success, security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant Hilal Ahmed Rather, who had helped dreaded LeT terrorist Naved Jhatt escape, during an encounter in South Kashmir in which an Army jawan was also killed, officials said Tuesday.
Rather, 21, was killed in the encounter in Ratnipora area of Pulwama, a district highly infested by militants, after a tip-off was received by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about his presence during the intervening night.
A cordon and search operation was launched by the police along with the Army and the CRPF. As it was going on, the militants opened upon the security forces, who retaliated effectively, a police spokesman said. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter.
“Rather was the main accused in the escape of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Naved Jhatt from a Srinagar hospital,” IG of Police (Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani said. “His body was handed over to family members after completion of all legal formalities,” he added.
The name of Rather, a class 12 passout, first surfaced when a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to crack Jhatt’s escape, found that he was the main conspirator. He had hatched a conspiracy with other militants to secure the release of Jhatt when he was taken to SMHS hospital for a routine check-up in February last year.
Jhatt was killed in an encounter with the police, November 28 last year in Budgam district of Central Kashmir.
The spokesman said Rather was affiliated with the banned Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and had a long history of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
The spokesperson also informed that two security personnel sustained gunshot injuries in the encounter and were rushed to a hospital. One of them, Jawan Baljeet Singh, succumbed to injuries.
PTI