In a major development in the 2020 assassination case of prominent advocate Babar Qadri, a special NIA court has framed charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against senior lawyer and former president of the Kashmir wing of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA), Mian Abdul Qayoom.
Qayoom, 77, an executive member of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and father-in-law of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court judge Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, was arrested on June 25, 2024, as the alleged principal conspirator in the murder. Authorities claim the killing was carried out by terrorists of the proscribed The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
According to officials, the designated court under the NIA Act has framed charges against Qayoom under Sections 16, 18, and 38 of the UAPA, relating to terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. The move follows a detailed investigation by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), which took over the probe in July 2023.
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had dismissed Qayoom’s habeas corpus petition and challenge to his arrest, affirming the legality of the investigation and remand process.
Advocate Babar Qadri, a well-known human rights lawyer and TV debater, was fatally shot at his Srinagar residence on September 24, 2020. He had survived an earlier assassination attempt in 2018. Police investigations initially pointed to the involvement of Lashkar commander Saqib Manzoor, who was later killed in an encounter in 2022.
Qadri, founder of the Kashmir Lawyers Club, had been an outspoken critic of Qayoom, often accusing him of steering the Bar Association to serve separatist interests.
The first chargesheet in the case was filed in 2021 against six accused. In August 2022, police raided Qayoom’s residences in Srinagar, seizing electronic devices, bank statements, and documents. The SIA later announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for information on the case.
In December 2023, the SIA filed a 340-page supplementary chargesheet against Qayoom, citing offences under various provisions of the IPC and UAPA, including murder. The High Court subsequently transferred the trial to Jammu, citing concerns over Qayoom’s alleged interference in judicial proceedings and intimidation of Qadri’s family.
The SIA chargesheet portrays Qayoom as a long-time separatist and Hurriyat loyalist, closely associated with hardline leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, whom he regarded as his political ‘guru’. It notes that Qayoom had openly declared in court that he did not consider himself an Indian citizen nor accepted the Constitution of India.
Investigators also allege that during periods of unrest post-2008, his calls for shutdowns mirrored those of the Hurriyat, and he had effectively run the HCBA as a “fiefdom” aligned with separatist agendas.
With the framing of charges, Qayoom will now face trial under stringent UAPA provisions. The case, given its high-profile nature and the involvement of separatist networks, is expected to be closely monitored in the coming months.
