New Delhi: In startling findings, an overground separatist leader of Kashmir has been alleged to be involved in the killing of senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone, who was shot dead by militants last year.

Highly-placed official sources said that the leader, whom they refused to identify, was allegedly in the knowledge of the plot to kill Lone on May 21 last year when he was attending the 12th martyrdom ceremony of Mirwaiz Farooq.

The sources said the separatist leader had been contacted by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on several occasions before the assassination took place.

The role of the separatist leader, who was already under suspicion, came to light after the killing of Ghazi Baba, Jaish-e-Mohammed commander in the Valley, who was shot dead on August 30 by security forces.

Several documents recovered from the site of the encounter highlighted the fact as to how the help of the separatist leader was taken and how the killing was executed by the militants.

The sources said the militants, who had actually carried out the killing, would be brought to book soon and the missing links in the case would be joined.

PTI