In a significant breakthrough in a case that has remained unresolved for over three and a half decades, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key absconding suspect linked to the high-profile kidnapping of Rubaiyya Sayeed in 1989.
Joint Operation Nabs Key Accused in Srinagar
The federal agency, in a joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, apprehended Shafat Ahmed Shangloo from his residence in Srinagar's Nishat area on Monday. Shangloo, who was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on information leading to his capture, is alleged to have been a close confidant of banned terror outfit Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief, Yasin Malik.
The CBI, in an official statement, accused Shangloo of conspiring with Malik and others to commit crimes under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code and the now-repealed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) in the year 1989. The agency confirmed that the arrested individual would be presented before the designated TADA court in Jammu within the legally stipulated timeframe.
Deep Links to JKLF and the 1989 Kidnapping
According to officials quoted by the ANI news agency, Shangloo was not just an associate but allegedly served as an office bearer for the JKLF, with responsibilities for managing the group's finances. His arrest throws fresh light on the intricate planning behind one of Kashmir's most politically sensitive kidnappings.
On December 8, 1989, Rubaiyya Sayeed, the daughter of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, was abducted from near Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar. The incident triggered a major crisis. Five days later, she was released after the V.P. Singh government, which had the BJP's support at the Centre, agreed to free five terrorists in exchange.
The CBI, which took over the investigation in 1990, has listed Rubaiyya Sayeed, who now resides in Tamil Nadu, as a prosecution witness. She has reportedly identified Yasin Malik and four others as co-conspirators in the case.
Yasin Malik's Ongoing Legal Troubles
JKLF chief Yasin Malik, the central figure in this case, is currently incarcerated in Delhi's Tihar Jail. He is serving a life sentence handed down by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in May 2022 in a separate terror financing case dating back to 2017.
In connection with the Rubaiyya Sayeed kidnapping, Malik and nine others have been charged by a special TADA court. Due to restrictions on his movement, Malik has been attending court hearings via video conference. The recent arrest of his alleged aide, Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, marks a pivotal step in the long-pending legal proceedings, bringing a decades-old chapter of Kashmir's turbulent history back into focus.
