SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association President Mian Qayoom on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy of fellow advocate Babar Qadri in 2020, officials here said.
Qayoom was taken into custody after the State Investigation Agency (SIA) collected substantial evidence against him, the officials said.
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.
Following the high-profile killing, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the police to probe into Qadri’s murder. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the SIA for further examination.
In a related development, 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 the apprehension of Qadri’s assailants.
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.
Earlier this year, the High Court transferred the case to a Jammu court from Srinagar, saying, “For a fair and impartial trial of a criminal case, it is imperative that the witnesses are in a position to depose in an atmosphere, which is free and not hostile.”
