Police raid residences of 3 lawyers in Srinagar in connection with murder case

Advocate Babar Qadri was shot dead by terrorists inside his residence in the city's Hawal area in September 2020

Jammu and Kashmir Police carried out raids at the residences of three lawyers, including former Kashmir High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom in Srinagar as part of the probe into the killing of advocate Babar Qadri by militants in 2020.

“Srinagar police conducting searches at the residence of Adv Miyan Qayoom, Adv Manzoor Dar and Adv Muzzaffar Mohd in connection with further #investigation of #murder of Adv Babar Qadri, FIR No 62/2020 of PS Lal Bazar,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

Reports said police arrived at the uptown Barzulla residence of Mian Qayoom early in the morning to carry out the searches. Similarly, the residences of Qayoom’s two close aides, Advocate Manzoor Dar and Advocate Muzaffar were also searched.

Qayoom, who remained president of the Kashmir Bar Association for more than two decades till his arrest in August 2019, is the father-in-law of Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge Justice Javed Iqbal Wani.

Forty-year-old Qadri was shot dead by militants inside his residence in the old city area of Hawal on September 24, 2020. Hours before he was shot dead, Qadri posted a video on Facebook in which he criticised Mian Qayoom and his politics at Bar Association

“When I look at Mian Qayoom’s role since 1990 in Jammu Kashmir High Court Bar Association, politics has been carried only on the basis of threats and pressures,” he said in the video. “Why can’t we do politics honestly and with dignity?” he asked. He declared that he was not afraid of the consequences of criticising the association.

Qadri’s bluntness and refusal to conform meant he crossed swords with the Bar Association and its president, Qayoom. The Bar Association was widely believed to be close to the hardline Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Geelani.

According to police, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saqib Manzoor, who was killed in an encounter last year, was responsible for Qadri’s killing.

Sources said that the police suspect that Qayoom had plotted the killing of Qadri and the investigation has finally reached his doorstep.

“As President of the Bar, Qayoom had expelled deceased Qadri from the basic membership of the Association and a couple of times got him physically assaulted through his associate like-minded advocates,” they alleged. “Investigations further reveal that he was indoctrinating and recruiting vulnerable youth for terror organizations however his kin and relatives, all are, enjoying the constitutional position. None have joined terror groups,” they said and added Qayoom with his legal background has been threatening lawyers who believe in the Indian constitution.

Qayoom had started his legal practice in 1976 and worked as chief legal advisor to Geelani during the 1987 elections. In 1990, he openly came out in support of the secessionist movement and presented a memorandum to UNMOGIP Headquarters in Srinagar.

A senior police officer said that Qayom provided targets to terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen. “Any person who opposed terror outfits and expressed belief in the Indian constitution was gunned down by the terrorists operating on behalf of Mian Qayoom,” he alleged.

“Qayoom and J&K High Court Bar Association in the name of free legal aid defend the cases of all the terrorists and stone pelters. Qayoom claims that the assistance is given free of cost, however, reports contrarily suggest that Qayoom draws huge sums from Pakistan and terrorist organisations for fighting their cases,” he added.