National Conference president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the assassination of Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, former minister of state for law.

Militants killed Lone, at Ratnag village in Kupwara district, while he was addressing an election rally on September 11, 2002.

Speaking to rediff.com in Srinagar, Abdullah said that the state government is speaking in two voices on the findings of the state police in this case so far.

"I saw the interview given by the State Finance Minister Muzaffar Beig to a private television channel where in he had alleged that the indications are that the investigations by the police would reach the top brass of the National conference, while the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has said that his minister did not blame any political party for the murder," Omar Abdullah said. "Under these circumstances we demand that the matter should be handed over the CBI for an impartial probe."

Asked if he would accept the findings of the CBI even if it went against his party, he said any finding of the CBI would be acceptable to his party.

K Rajenderan, inspector general of Kashmir division of the Jammu and Kashmir police, has said that the police was conducting an impartial probe into the matter.

"This is the first time that so many policemen have been arrested for aiding and abetting in a criminal case. We have booked them under 302 for murder and 307 for attempted murder and two other cases. We want to clean the police of such elements who collude with the terrorists and help them in carrying out their nefarious designs," Rajenderan said.