Srinagar : Less than a week ahead of 33rd death anniversary of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen wanted by CBI in connection with killing of the religious cleric here.
Addressing a presser here Special DG CID Jammu and Kashmir R R Swain said the State Investigation Agency (SIA) arrested Javaid Ahmad Bhat alias Ajmal Khan of Solina Bala, A/P Azad Basti Natipora Srinagar and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat alias Bilal of Danderkhaw Batamalo Srinagar “who had managed to escape along with two others after the killing of Mirwaiz Farooq at his residence on May 21, 1990.”
“The two had gone underground and during all these years were variously hiding in Nepal and Pakistan among other places before surreptitiously returning back to Kashmir few years ago,” he said as per GNS correspond. “Maintaining a low profile, changing addresses and shifting residences, they avoided the gaze of law enforcement agencies. “
Accused in CBI case (RC0501990S008 pertaining to killing of Mirwaiz Farooq)”, he said, they are now liable to immediately face trial in a designated TADA court in Delhi which has already completed the trial in respect of one of the five accused namely Ayub Dar alias Ishfaq son of Late Abdul Ahad Dar of Rawalpora of Srinagar who has been convicted and serving a life sentence. “Two other absconding accused found guilty in the killing of Mirwaiz, Abdullah Bangroo and Abdul Rehman Shigan, got killed in encounters with security forces in the 1990s.”
To recapitulate, he said, on 21 May 1990, Mirwaiz Farooq, the head priest of Kashmir was killed by militants accusing him of being a ‘peacenik’ and an ‘Indian agent’.
He said a case FIR No 61/1990 came to be registered in Police Station Nageen, Srinagar to investigate the incident. Thereafter, he said, the government of the day transferred the investigation to CBI on 11 June 1990.
“After a long and arduous legal process of investigation and prosecution, the designated TADA court, in 2009, convicted the only arrested accused Ayub Dar for life. The remaining four remained on run. While two (Abdullah Bangroo & Rehman Shigan) died in encounters, Javaid Bhat and Ayub Bhat managed to evade.”
Before killing Mirwaiz, he said, all the five militants had gone to Pakistan for training in 1990. “Back in Srinagar, Abdullah Bangroo received instructions in April 1990 from his ISI handler in Pakistan to eliminate Mirwaiz.” (GNS)
