Srinagar, Nov 27 (IANS) In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have said some government employees were involved in the separatist protests during the last five months and the separatists have a nexus with the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

S.M. Sahai, Inspector General of Kashmir Police (IGP), Friday evening also told the media here that protests during the past five months were not spontaneous and "were masterminded by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba".

"Sixty-odd government employees have been arrested by the police for their involvement in stone pelting incidents," he said.

The IGP disclosed that seven of the arrested government employees have been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

"Police have also sent recommendations about the involved government employees to their respective departments and we hope disciplinary action would be taken against them," Sahai said.

He said some timber smugglers and criminals had taken advantage of the recent unrest in the valley as the attention of the police had remained focused on law and order during this period.

Asserting that "protests during the last five months were not spontaneous," Sahai said: "These were masterminded by the terror outfit LeT."

"Investigations reveal the agitation was increasingly a thoughtful plan carried out by the LeT," Sahai said.

To support his stand, the IGP said a module of grenade throwers had been busted by the police in Batmaloo area of Srinagar city, and those involved in stone pelting incidents had a nexus with the LeT.

"There is also a nexus between the separatist leaders and the LeT."

"Recently we arrested the tehsil sadder of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (Syed Ali Geelani's separatist party). His telephonic conversation with LeT commander Furqaan reveals he was linked to the outfit."

The IGP said militancy related incidents had started increasing as stone pelting incidents had started coming down in the Valley.