After 36 years, a man allegedly linked to the sensational 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has been arrested, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Monday, December 1. The accused, identified as Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, was allegedly part of a conspiracy involving members of the banned terror group Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), led by Yasin Malik. According to officials, Shafat was allegedly an office-bearer of the outfit and handled its finances. The arrest has revived one of India’s most high-profile terror cases.
The CBI said the man has been identified as Shafat Ahmed Shangloo. He allegedly played a role in the conspiracy behind the 1989 abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed.
Accused Carried A Reward Of Rs 10 lakh
Officials said Shafat carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh. He was arrested by the CBI and Jammu and Kashmir Police from his residence in the Nishat area of Srinagar after following due legal procedure. He was allegedly associated with the banned Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front, led by Yasin Malik, who is currently in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in a terror financing case. Malik has been appearing in court hearings through video-conferencing.
Rubaiya Identified Several Accused
During hearings, Rubaiya Sayeed identified Yasin Malik and four other accused as being involved in her kidnapping. She was abducted near Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar on December 8, 1989, and released five days later after the VP Singh government freed five terrorists in exchange. Rubaiyya Sayeed, now living in Tamil Nadu, is listed as a prosecution witness by the CBI, which took over the case in early 1990.
Charges Already Framed In The case
Malik, 56, was sentenced by a special NIA court in May last year. He was arrested in early 2019 in connection with a 2017 terror financing case. A special court has already framed charges against Malik and nine others in the kidnapping case.