J&K: NIA court frames charges against HC Bar body ex-chief in advocate murder case

In a significant development in the high-profile murder case of Advocate Babar Qadri, the special NIA court has formally framed charges against Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association—Kashmir.

Qayoom has been charged under Sections 16, 18, and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, relating to committing a terrorist act, conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, and association with a terrorist organisation. The charges were based on a chargesheet earlier filed by the State Investigation Agency (SIA).

Advocate Babar Qadri, a young and outspoken lawyer, was murdered on September 24, 2020, at his residence in Zahidpora, Srinagar. He was shot dead by assailants posing as clients, shortly after returning from court. Qadri was not only a practicing lawyer but also a television panelist and founder of the Kashmir Lawyers Club, a dissident legal forum.

Known for his sharp criticism of the Kashmir Bar Association, Qadri had repeatedly accused Mian Qayoom of using the Bar platform to promote a secessionist agenda.

Due to concerns over interference and intimidation in Srinagar, the case was transferred to the SIA in July 2023. Mian Qayoom was arrested on June 25, 2024, as the alleged principal conspirator in the murder. Investigators claim Qadri was targeted through operatives of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Qayoom’s habeas corpus petition and legal challenges to his arrest and remand were dismissed by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in February 2025, with the court upholding the validity of the arrest and the ongoing investigation.