Rubaiya identifies Yasin Malik and 3 others as her abductors
Appeared personally after a TADA court issued summons seeking her physical appearance; next hearing on August 23
Three decades after her high-profile abduction and release, Rubaiya Sayeed, 56, daughter of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on Friday identified four of her kidnappers, including Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front ( JKLF) founder Yasin Malik before a TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act) court.
Rubaiya was kidnapped in December 1989 by Malik and his aides. Her father was the Union home minister at the time in the VP Singh- led National Front government. The court has fixed August 23 as the next date of hearing in the much publicised case.
Rubaiya, who now lives in Chennai, appeared personally after the TADA court issued summons seeking her physical appearance in the case.
Special public prosecutor in TADA court advocate Monika Kohli said, “Identifying Yasin Malik and three others by Rubaiya Sayeed in her kidnapping case is a big development and a big achievement for us. She stood by her statement whatever she had deposed before the CBI. She has identified everybody.” “She was shown the photographs today and she identified them. This is a step forward for the prosecution of Yasin and other accused in the case,” she added.
Malik, presently undergoing life sentence in Tihar jail in a terror-funding case, moved an application to the government of India seeking personal appearance of witnesses in two cases — the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping and the killing of four Indian Air Force officials, including squadron leader Ravi Khanna.
The TADA court in Jammu had on May 27 issued summons to Rubaiya to appear in person in connection with her abduction case.
Rubaiya, who is the sister of PDP chief and former J& K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, landed in Jammu on Thursday evening. She is listed as a prosecution witness by the CBI which took over the investigation of the case in early 1990.
She was kidnapped on December 8, 1989, and was released on December 13.
Her abductors had sought the release of five arrested militants in exchange of her release and the Union government conceded to their demand.
On January 11, 2021, the TADA court had ordered that the charges be framed against Yasin and nine others, including Ali Mohamad Mir, Mohammad Zaman Mir, Iqbal Ahmad Gandroo, Javed Ahmad Mir, Mohammad Rafiq Pahloo alias Nana Ji alias Saleem, Manzoor Ahmed Sofi, Wajahat Bashir, Mehraj-ud-Din Sheikh and Showkat Ahmad Bakshi.
The TADA court had in March 2020 also framed charges against Yasin and six others allegedly involved in the killing of four unarmed IAF in 1990 in Kashmir.