Police on Sunday confirmed that a youth from Natipora, Srinagar, had joined militant ranks a few days ago.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Dr Haseeb Mughal told reporters here that a hunt was on to track the newly recruited militant.
The youth from Natipora who had gone missing from his home on Monday released an audio clip which went viral on social media including Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. In the audio clip the youth had claimed that he had joined militant ranks and asked his parents not to search for him.
The youth went missing on the same day when militants attacked a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) worker’s residence in Natipora that left a policeman dead.
The SSP said that police have apprehended four youth in connection with the killing of Advocate Baber Qadri. Barber was shot dead by gunmen at his Hawal, Srinagar, residence on September 25.
“So far four people have been apprehended and investigations are underway,” Dr Haseeb said. “Once investigations are taken to a logical conclusion, we will make them public.”
The city police chief denied the statements of the families of the arrested youth who have protested against the arrest of their wards.
Police have arrested three persons from Srinagar in connection with the killing of Baber, with two more arrested from Central Jail recently. The persons arrested earlier have been identified as Asif Ahmad Bhat of Rehmania Colony Srinagar, Shahid Ahmad Mir of Khanyar Srinagar and Zahid Khan, a resident of Nowhatta Srinagar.
The family members of these three persons on Friday held a protest demonstration here, stating that their sons were innocent.