Kashmir IGP S P Pani confirms Pak hand in Shujaat Bukhari murder, releases photos of killers

Kashmir IGP S P Pani has confirmed the possibility of Pakistani hand in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari. “This terror crime was done by Lashkar-e-Taiba and the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan”, said IGP Pani, who at 41 is the youngest to hold this post.

On alleged mastermind, Pani said, Gul crossed over to Pakistan five years ago, and is a key conspirator behind the assassination of Bukhari. He is now based in Pakistan. The three assailants who escaped on a motorcycle after carrying out the attack were identified as Azad Ahmed Malik from Arwani Bijbehara, Muzafar Ahmad Bhat from Sopat Qazi.

Pani released names and photographs of four people identified in the murder of senior journalist which include Sajjad Gul LeT operative from Srinagar, Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada from Anantnag, Muzafar Ahmad Bhat and Naveed Jatt. Police said that while Naveed Jatt was active in South Kashmir, Sajjad Gul is in Pakistan.

The police in its investigation found the use of social media in plotting the conspiracy to kill the editor of Rising Kashmir. Sajjad Gul was earlier arrested by Delhi Police in 2003, and later in 2016 by J&K police in terror cases. IG Pani said, “Gul left the country in March 2016, and a lookout notice is being procured against him. We have strong evidence which establishes that it was done by him.”

The Police, however, did not say anything about the motive behind the killing.

Bukhari (51), editor of the daily Rising Kashmir, was gunned down outside his office in Srinagar on June 14. Two of his personal security officers were also killed in the attack. Police had released CCTV footage of three attackers on a motorcycle. While one was wearing a helmet, another was wearing a mask.

“We have identified the attackers,” a top police officer privy to the investigation told The Indian Express. “Two of them are local militants from South Kashmir while the third is from Pakistan.” Sources said the attackers were identified on the basis of technical and human intelligence.