Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has asked the Centre to order an independent inquiry into the arrest of Liyaqat Shah.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Omar said he had asked for a time-bound, speedy probe into the matter. “I spoke to the home minister and asked for a speedy time-bound probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to establish the facts in this matter,” said Omar.

Sources said Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who spoke to Omar, had promised to hand over the case to the NIA on Monday.

While Delhi Police claimed that Shah was the “mastermind” of a revenge attack for Afzal Guru’s hanging, the Jammu and Kashmir government maintained that he was an inactive “militant” living in PoK for the past 15 years and was on his way home to surrender.

The chief minister sees the Delhi police move as a setback to his flagship project of facilitating the return of former militants to Kashmir, sources said.

As the home minister was out of the Capital, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had a telephonic conversation with him.

The sources said Shah’s first wife Ameena had applied for his amnesty on February 2, 2011, immediately after the policy was approved.

According to family sources, Shah had applied for passports in PoK 15 days ago.

“Liyaqat told us 10 days ago that he was coming and we informed the authorities,” she added.