NEW DELHI, April 11: A day after the Kashmir police claimed the arrest of a top Lashker-i-Taiba militant, accusing him of involvement in the recent massacre of 24 Kashmiri Hindus, the group was quoted on Friday denying the charge as a deliberate fabrication.

Zee News TV said outfit’s divisional commander Abu Usama in a statement to a news agency in Srinagar said the group’s member, Zia Mustafa alias Abdullah Umer, who was presented before the media by the police on Thursday, was implicated in the crime.

Mustafa, the commander was quoted as saying, “was arrested on March 16, at 2pm from his hideout whereas the Nadimarg massacre took place during the intervening night of March 23, 24”.

“The police claim about the involvement of Lashker-i-Taiba in the massacre is bundle of lies,” Usama said.

“Lashker Mujahideen have been directed to kill the DGP who has become father of falsehood and is involved in the killing of innocent persons,” he was quoted as saying.

Usama also claimed that no weapon or document were recovered from Mustafa at the time of his arrest.—JN