Gita Mittal, the chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed Yasin Malik’s counsel to file the objection to CBI’s transfer application filed in the long pending case of Rubaiya Saeed’s kidnapping and murder of 5 IAF personnel within a day. According to reports, in the case, the CBI had appealed the HC to transfer the case to a special court for the hearing.
Huge. CBI all set to reopen the 30 year old case against terrorist turned radical separatist Yasin Malik in the Rubiya Saeed kidnapping case and killing of four Indian Air Force Officers in Kashmir. CBI has filed transfer application in court of J&K Chief Justice Gita Mittal. pic.twitter.com/uBmv4UGFbT
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 7, 2019
The CJ has also asked the HC registry to list the CBI’s application for hearing on 11 March. CBI has been examining the case of Rubaiya Saeed’s kidnapping and the murder of five IAF personnel. Yasin Malik is the main accused in both cases. Both the cases have been stuck at the stage of framing charges for almost 30 years.
Rubaiya Saeed, the daughter of former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Saeed and sister of former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti was kidnapped at gun point from a mini-bus while she was on her way home from Lala Ded Hospital in Srinagar where she was a doctor. The incident had happened on December 8, 1989.
JKLF terorists were behind the kidnapping. They had demanded the release of five of their terrorists who were in prison. After 15 days of negotiations, media frenzy and drama, the five terrorists were released by the then Indian government in exchange of Rubaiya’s freedom.
The five terrorists released by the then VP Singh government were Abdul hamid Shekh, a Pakistani terorist Sher Khan, Noor Mohammad Kalwal, Altaf Ahemed and Javed Ahemed Jargar.
The case was handed over to the CBI on February 22, 1990. Fourteen years later, JKLF vice Chairman Javed Mir had admitted that he had carried out the kidnapping along with two JKLF top commanders Yasin Malik and Ashfaq Wani. When the terrorists were released, it was Javed Mir who had notified the local press in Srinagar that Rubaiya will be set free soon.
Five personnel of the Indian Air Force were murdered on January 25, 1990, at 7.30 am when JKLF terrorists had started shooting at 40 IAF personnel who were waiting at the Sant Nagar crossing, Srinagar to board vehicles to go to their respective offices. 40 personnel, including a female official, were injured in that shooting. Five had died. CBI had investigated the case and had filed the charge sheet on August 31, 1990. Yasin Malik is one of the main accused in this case too.
Despite Malik’s own admission to have committed the murders of the IAF personnel on an interview with BBC, he has been roaming free for almost 30 years now.
The CBI has appealed to the HC that as Yasin Malik holds influence in the area, it might affect the case. CBI has appealed the court to transfer the cases to their special court.
After the Pulwama attack, Malik had been detained by Indian security forces on February 22. He has now been booked under the Public Safety Act and has been transferred to Jammu’s Kot Balwal jail.
