| SRINAGAR: Three of seven policemen arrested last week in the Indian Held Kashmir for links with âseparatist guerrillasâ had allegedly masterminded the assassination of Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, a minister in the previous National Conference government in September last year, Police Chief Gopal Sharma said on Sunday. The two policemen had acted in tandem with separatist guerrilla groups in Mr Loneâs assassination in Kupwara in north Kashmir while he was campaigning for last yearâs assembly elections. Sub-Inspector Ghulam Rasool Wani, and Constable Abdul Ahad, arrested last week in Kupwara, had been giving logistical support to various separatist groups active in the area. âThis is the first time Kashmiri policemen have been found supporting militants in such a manner,â said the police chief. He said the policemen had held a meeting with the local commanders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen immediately before Mr Lone travelled to Kupwara from Srinagar in connection with electioneering. He identified the policemen who participated in the meeting as Ghulam Mohammad Peer alias Gulla Peer, Mohammad Rustum Lone and Abdul Ahad. âThe militants provided wireless sets with scrambled frequencies to the policemen so that they could pass on information about the ministerâs movements,â he said. The two policemen also allegedly helped two recent âFidayeenâ suicide attacks in Kupwara,â he added. |