In a major breakthrough in a decades-old case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday announced the arrest of a suspect who had been evading capture for 35 years. The individual is wanted for his alleged involvement in the high-profile 1989 abduction of Dr Rubaiya Sayeed, the daughter of former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The Arrest and the Alleged Conspirator
The central investigative agency, which took over the case in 1990, identified the arrested man as Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, who had been declared an absconder. A bounty of Rs 10 lakh was on his head. The CBI stated that Shangloo conspired with the chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Yasin Malik, and others to commit the crime.
"Shangloo conspired with Yasin Malik and others in committing the crime. He will be produced in the TADA court, Jammu, at the stipulated time per law," the CBI said in its announcement. Yasin Malik, currently serving a life sentence in a separate terror funding case in Delhi's Tihar Jail, is standing trial in this abduction case.
Recalling the 1989 Kidnapping Ordeal
The abduction, which sent shockwaves across the nation, occurred on December 8, 1989. Dr Rubaiya Sayeed, then a 23-year-old medical intern and the sister of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, was abducted by JKLF terrorists near her home in Nowgam, Srinagar. She was returning by bus from the Lal Ded Memorial Hospital.
The terrorists demanded the release of five jailed associates in exchange for her freedom. After six tense days of negotiations, the Union government led by Prime Minister V.P. Singh secured her release by freeing the terrorists. This decision was taken despite strong opposition from the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah.
In a 2015 statement, Farooq Abdullah had publicly reiterated his stance, saying, "Even if they had taken my daughter hostage, I would not have released a single terrorist." Rubaiya Sayeed, who now resides in Tamil Nadu, was freed hours after the government acquiesced to the kidnappers' demands.
Recent Testimonies and Political Appeals
The case has seen significant developments in recent years. During a court hearing on July 15, 2022, Rubaiya Sayeed herself identified Yasin Malik as one of her captors. Her testimony was corroborated by another witness in February 2023 when Malik appeared via video conference from Tihar Jail.
In a related development, just over a week ago, a second key eyewitness identified Yasin Malik as the "main shooter" in a 1990 terrorist attack in Srinagar that killed four unarmed Indian Air Force personnel and injured 22 others.
Amidst these legal proceedings, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 19 this year. In her letter, she appealed for a humanitarian view of Yasin Malik's case, highlighting his decision to renounce violence and engage in political dialogue.
"I write to you not merely as a witness but as someone who has lived through the turbulent times of J&K, bearing its grief, enduring its silences, and holding on to its fragile hopes," Mehbooba Mufti wrote, urging that his shift to non-violent dissent be considered.
The arrest of Shafat Ahmed Shangloo marks a critical step in a case that has remained a poignant chapter in Jammu and Kashmir's history, intertwining personal tragedy with the region's complex political and militant landscape.
