Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday said they had cracked the case of a Lashkar commander's escape from a Srinagar hospital earlier this week by arresting four persons in connection with the incident.

The developments unfolded on a day the Mehbooba Mufti government suspended the superintendent of Srinagar's Central Jail where the conspiracy was apparently hatched.

Jammu and Kashmir principal secretary, home, R.K. Goyal issued the order putting Central Jail superintendent Hilal Ahmad Rather under suspension "pending inquiry" into the incident.

Other heads rolled too. The Valley's police chief, Munir Khan, and the director-general of prisons, S.K. Mishra, were transferred on Thursday in what the government said were routine decisions. But the timing of the high-profile transfers led to speculation that the two paid the price for the security lapses.

Pakistani militant Naveed Jatt escaped on Tuesday after militants attacked and killed two policemen escorting him at Srinagar's SMHS hospital where he had been taken for treatment.

Militants cocked a snook at the government, releasing pictures of a gun-wielding Jatt in the company of top Hizb commander Saddam Padder.

Khan, who addressed a media conference shortly before he was transferred to home guards, said the police had arrested two militants, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Tika Khan, and two over-ground workers, Syed Tajamul and Mohammad Shafi Wani, all residents of Pulwama, who were part of the conspiracy.

Khan said Shakeel and Tika had accompanied another militant, Hilal, who is still at large, during the attack on the cops. It was Hilal who opened fire at the cops and killed them before Jatt was whisked away. "After their arrest we are left with Naveed, who is still at large, and another militant, Hilal. We are looking for them and, hopefully, after smashing their network we will lay our hands on them and neutralise them," Khan said.

The outgoing police chief said Hilal and Tika used to frequently visit Central Jail, where Jatt was lodged, to meet him and Jatt was also in touch with them and others over the phone. It is surprising, he said, that "militants" like Hilal and Tika had free access to the jail and that Jatt had procured mobiles while in jail.

Khan said the conspiracy to free Naveed was hatched four months ago. The officer said the militants came to Srinagar on February 6 and took position at various points at SMHS hospital. "When this detainee (Jatt) was brought, Hilal and Naveed (Jatt) both fired on the constables injuring them seriously. Ultimately they succumbed," he said.