Srinagar, Aug 18: Special NIA court has framed charges under UAPA against former Kashmir High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom in murder of activist and TV commentator Advocate Babar Qadri.
According to the details available, the Special Designated Court under the NIA Act has formally framed charges under Sections 16, 18, and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act , against Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom. The charges pertain to terrorist act and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act.
The chargesheet in the matter had earlier been filed by the State Investigation Agency (SIA).
Advocate Babar Qadri, a young lawyer known for his vocal criticism of the alleged misuse of the Kashmir Bar Association platform, was murdered on September 24, 2020, at his residence in Zahidpora, Hawal, Srinagar. He was shot by assailants who disguised as clients, immediately after he had returned from the court.
Qadri was not only a practicing lawyer but also a frequent television panelist and a founder of a dissident group known as the Kashmir Lawyers Club.
The case was transferred to the SIA in July 2023, due to concerns of interference and intimidation in Srinagar. Mian Qayoom was arrested on June 25, 2024, as the principal conspirator behind Qadri’s killing, allegedly via terrorists of The Resistance Front (TRF).
Qayoom’s ‘Habeas Corpus’ petition and his challenges to the arrest and remand process in the instant case were dismissed by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court in February 2025, reaffirming the legal propriety of the arrest and investigation. (KNO)
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