The J-K government on Thursday suspended the superintendent of the Srinagar Central Jail in connection with the Pakistani terrorist Abu Hunzullah. The police also arrested five persons suspected to have helped Hunzullah escape from the SMHS Hospital on Tuesday after killing two policemen.

The Superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail, Hilal Ahmad, has been suspended and Mukesh Kumar Kakkar, additional SP of police, appointed in his place. Some medical staff at the SMHS Hospital has been shifted amid suspicion that they may also be involved in the conspiracy.

It is learnt that the police identified the suspects from the CCTV footage of the SMHS Hospital where two burqa clad persons handed over a pistol to Hunzullah.

Hunzullah, along with five others, was brought to the hospital for check up from the jail. Hunzullah escaped after Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) terrorists, in broad daylight, attacked and killed two policemen accompanying the terrorist to the hospital.

Earlier during the day, DGP SP Vaid said there were “gaping holes” in the security system that enabled the terrorist escape. He did not rule out connivance of some staff of the Central Jail in escape of the terrorist who was involved in several killings and attacking a convoy of the BSF near Udhampur in Jammu.

A SIT is already investigating into the daring escape and a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.

Vaid said that Hunzullah was shifted to the Srinagar jail on the orders of a court.

The police is also looking into the aspect whether the standard operation procedure was followed while bringing the terrorist to the hospital.

Briefing media persons about the arrests made in the case by the SIT, Muneer Khan, additional DGP, said that based on the CCTV footage the police has arrested two terrorists and two overground workers (OWGs) from Pulwama in South Kashmir.

The arrested persons are, Shakeel Bhat and Tikka Khan. Another militant, Jalal, along with his Pakistani accomplice, was absconding. Khan was hopeful they will be arrested soon.

He said that during interrogation, the terrorists revealed that they used to visit the jail to meet Hunzullah and were also in contact with him over the phone. The conspiracy to get the Pakistani terrorist freed was hatched four months ago but later the plan was changed.

Hunzullah was taken to the old city by Shakeel on his motorcycle and dropped near the Abdullah Bridge from where they shifted to some other place.