2 ultras held 33 years after Mirwaiz Farooq's killing
Srinagar, May 16
The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested two terrorists who were allegedly involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq, the father of separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in 1990.
47 died in violence after the attack
May 21, 1990: Mirwaiz Moulvi killed by 5 militants at his house
May 22: 47 killed in violence
June 11: Case handed over to CBI
June 18: 2 accused ultras killed
2009: Sole arrested ultra Ayub Dar gets life term in TADA court
May 16, 2023: 2 ultras arrested
The militants, Javaid Ahmad Bhat and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, were associated with Hizbul Mujahideen. They have been handed over to the CBI for further proceedings, according to the Special Director General of Police (CID), RR Swain. A prominent religious leader, Mirwaiz was killed by militants at his residence in Nigeen, Srinagar, on May 21, 1990. The SIA said five terrorists were involved in the assassination. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI. Two of the terrorists, Abdullah Bangroo and Rehman Shigan, were killed in encounters in the 1990s and couldn’t face trial. Ayub Dar, another accomplice who underwent trial and was convicted, is serving a life sentence at the Srinagar jail.
Javaid and Zahoor had been absconding all these years, hiding at various locations, including Nepal and Pakistan, before returning to Kashmir discreetly a few years ago, said Swain. “To avoid detection, they maintained a low profile, changing addresses frequently. Both are liable to face immediate trial in a designated TADA court in Delhi,” he said.
The killing occurred as Hizbul Mujahideen accused Mirwaiz of being a “peacemaker and an agent” of the Union Government. All the five terrorists had undergone training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Bangroo, upon directions from his ISI handler in Pakistan, conspired with other Hizbul militants for the killing. The militants are learnt to have entered Mirwaiz’s residence on the pretext of seeking financial support for Hizbul Mujahideen.
