Omar Abdullah welcomes bail release of Hizb militant Liyaqat Shah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has welcomed the release of Suspected Hizbul militant Liyaqat Shah on bail by a special NIA court in Delhi.

He expressed hope that the National Investigation Agency will complete its probe soon.

Liyaqat, 45, was arrested on March 20 while crossing the Indo-Nepal border in Gorakhpur with his family.

He had said then that he had come to surrender under the Jammu and Kashmir Government's rehabilitation policy, but Delhi Police had alleged that he was involved in the conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in the national capital ahead of Holi.

The Home Ministry had on March 28 issued a notification facilitating National Investigation Agency, NIA, to take over the case after his arrest had generated conflicting versions from Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

District Judge I S Mehta of the special NIA court in Delhi granted bail to him on Friday on a personal bond of Rs.20, 000 with a surety of the like amount.

The court, however, imposed several conditions on Liyaqat and directed him not to leave the country without its prior permission.