The police remand of Mian Abdul Qayoom, former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, was extended by six days by a designated NIA court in Jammu on Monday.
Qayoom was arrested on June 25 for his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy of fellow advocate Babar Qadri in 2020. The 76-year-old accused, a prominent figure in Kashmir associated with the All Party Hurriyat Conference, was taken into custody by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Qadri, a human rights expert, was fatally shot at his residence in September 2020. During the court proceedings, the judge noted that the investigation is still at an initial stage and further remand of the accused is necessary for the progress of the case.
“After considering the rival submissions of the parties, perusal of the latest entries in the case-diary and giving thoughtful consideration to the matter, it is noticed that investigation of the case…is still at an initial stage.
“Therefore, his further detention in the custody of the police is imperative as the investigation agency is required to be afforded an opportunity to elicit all the possible information from the accused for further progress of the investigation,” third additional district and sessions judge (TADA/POTA) Jatinder Singh Jamwal said in his two-page order.
Qayoom, who has over 40 years of experience as a practising lawyer, opposed the extension of his police remand.
He raised concerns about his health conditions, stating that he requires regular medical care including insulin dosages.
Despite his resistance, the court granted the extension of his police remand until July 6, directing adequate medical care for the accused.
The prosecution argued that the accused is not cooperating fully with the investigation and further detention is essential to gather more information related to the case.
The court rejected the accused’s claims regarding the transfer of the investigation to the SIA by the Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Qayoom was brought to Jammu immediately after his arrest and produced before the court. The case was transferred from Srinagar to Jammu earlier this year for a fair and impartial trial.
The accused, who chose to argue the case himself, resisted the extension of period of police remand on the grounds that it was on January 20 that he was summoned by the investigation agency in the case and thereafter he regularly attended, as also fully cooperated, the investigation of the case till he was arrested “without any justification”.
The accused submitted that the present case was registered in 2020 and even the trial proceedings have been substantially completed.
Qadri, a human rights expert who frequently appeared on television debates, was fatally shot at his residence in the Hawal area of downtown in September 2020. He had narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 2018.
In August 2022, the police conducted searches at Qayoom’s residences and those of two other lawyers in Srinagar, seizing various digital devices, bank statements and documents, as part of the ongoing probe.
Last September, the SIA announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to solving Qadri’s murder.
The police had alleged the involvement of Saqib Manzoor, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, in Qadri’s killing. Manzoor was killed during a police encounter in Srinagar alongside another militant commander in 2022.–(PTI)
