SRINAGAR, June 6: Exposures about the hand of officials and policemen in recent insurgency-linked events in Kashmir have unnerved the Government regarding the extent of infiltration by militants into sensitive Departments in the State.

Investigations have hinted at the active connivance of policemen working in the VIP security wing in the two post-election bomb blasts in Srinagar's MLA hostel.

While the latest blast, in which three persons were killed, was masterminded by armyman-turned-militant-turned-politician Shabir Ahmed, he could import the TV bomb inside the building only with the help of policemen, sources told The Indian Express.

The earlier blast on the sensitive premises, which took place after the Farooq Abdullah Government took over, was carried out with the help of a policeman too.

Inquiry into the incident reveals that a policeman, who had been driving security vehicles for VIPs, had driven the car bomb up to the hostel gate. Four securitymen had died in the blast while a number of Legislators and a Minister had had a narrow escape.

In another incident, a team of two middle-rung Government employees posted at Kupwara had turned out to be top-rung militants of the Jamait-ul-Mujjahideen. They had carried out blasts near a Chief Ministers' meeting and outside the high-security zone residence of Home Minister Ali Mohamad Sagar.

Surrendered militants, who have entered politics, are a major concern for security agencies. Ahmed was one such person who had managed immunity from security checks by virtue of becoming a ``protected VIP'' after contesting elections.

Ahmed's background offers an interesting study into the long-term design of the militants. He had worked in the Army for three years before taking to militancy, and later counter-insurgency movements. He later joined politics and contested elections, thus getting a security cover from the Government. This included two armed guards, a protected accommodation and a vehicle. These facilities are now suspected to have helped him transport the bomb inside the Legislators' hostel.

Ahmed was last seen at the site of the blast on Sunday and has since been absconding. The police are now sure that he was acting on behalf of the militants and had engineered the blast to send jitters down the security set-up and at the same time eliminate a ``traitor''.

The victim -- Ramzan Bangi -- had deserted militant ranks and had helped security forces recover about 125 rifles. Authorities have now started whetting all protected persons and their securitymen .

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.