The J&K High Court Bench Srinagar today dismissed the habeas corpus writ petition filed by Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, former President High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Kashmir and an accused in the much publicized Babar Qadri murder case.
Mian Qayoom was arrested by SIA on 25th of June 2024 after he was found to be the main conspirator behind the murder of Babar Qadri, a young lawyer who was gunned down by terrorists on 24th of September 2020 at his residence Zahidpora, Hawal, Srinagar. He was subsequently chargesheeted in Nov 2024 and is since facing trial in the case.
Mian Qayoom had challenged the legality of his arrest by SIA and subsequent remands by the trial Court in a habeas corpus writ petition filed before the Srinagar Wing of J&K High Court vide HCP No 331 of 2024 dated 8th of Oct 2024. The HCP was filed by Advocate Sakal Bhushan of the Supreme Court of India.
The SIA in its objections strongly opposed the petition as the SIT investigating the Case had gathered sufficient oral, documentary and digital evidence implicating Mian Qayoom in the case. Advocate Mohsin Qadri, Sr Addl Advocate General had been appearing on behalf of the respondent SIA J&K.
Justice Vinod Chatterjee Koul while dismissing the petition today upheld the arrest of Mian Qayoom by SIA SIT and his subsequent remands granted by the Special Court designated under NIA Act Jammu.
The trial and subsequent proceedings in Case FIR No 62/2020 of PS Lal Bazar Srinager now SIA Kashmir famously refered to as the Babar Qadri murder Case were transferred to Jammu from Srinagar by High Court of J&K in December 2023 aftter the family members of the deceased victim had faced threats and intimidation in Kashmir.
