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33 years after Mirwaiz Farooq’s killing, two absconding militants in police net
With the arrests, all five militants accused of killing Mirwaiz Farooq in 1990 have now either been arrested or killed
In a major breakthrough 33 years after the assassination of former Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Molvi Farooq, Kashmir police’s state investigation agency (SIA) tracked down and arrested two absconding terrorists.
Mirwaiz was killed on May 21, 1990, at the city’s Mirwaiz Manzil.
The accused have been identified as Javaid Ahmad Bhat of Solina Bala, Srinagar, and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat of Danderkhaw Batamalo, Srinagar.
Probe officials said the duo, who were affiliated with Hizbul-Mujahideen, have been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to face trial — during which, it was found that Zahoor, on the instructions of then Hizb commander Abdullah Bangroo, had shot the Mirwaiz.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) special director general RR Swain in a press conference said, “The case was registered at Nageen police station and later transferred to the CBI. After investigation, one of the accused killers, Ayub Dar, was convicted for life imprisonment by a special designated TADA court New Delhi.”
“During investigation, it was found that five people were involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq. Abdullah Bangroo who was the leader of the group and another accused Rehman Sigan were killed during trial in encounters with security forces,” he added.
Swain said the duo had been on the run and had fled to Pakistan and Nepal, adding, “Today, they were arrested and handed over to the CBI team which had come from Delhi. The CBI had declared them proclaimed offenders. Now, these two absconders will face the trial. Of the five involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Farooq, two have been killed, one has already been arrested and is facing life imprisonment. With these arrests, all the accused have been arrested.”
A police spokesperson later said the duo returned to Kashmir from their hideouts in Nepal, Pakistan a few years ago.
“They (duo) maintained a low profile, changing addresses and shifting residences and also avoided the law enforcement agencies,” the spokesperson added.
Mirwaiz Farooq had been killed by Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, who variously accused him of being a “peacenik” and an “Indian agent”.
Police said the five terrorists had gone to Pakistan for training in 1990 shortly before the killing. “Back in Srinagar, Abdullah Bangroo received instructions in April 1990 from his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handler in Pakistan to eliminate Mirwaiz,” they added.
