Rubaiya Sayeed skips ’89 abduction case hearing, bailable warrant issued

Jammu, August 23

A bailable warrant was issued by a special court in Jammu against Rubaiya Sayeed, sister of former Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, after she did not appear for the hearing of a case related to her abduction in 1989 by J&K Liberation Front (JKLF) members, including separatist leader Yasin Malik.

Malik appeared before the court through virtual mode on Tuesday from Tihar jail. He had on Monday appeared in connection with a case regarding killing of four Indian Air Force (IAF) officials when he insisted for his physical appearance to cross-examine the witnesses and refused the court’s legal aid offer. On Tuesday, he again urged the court to let him be present physically.

On July 15, Rubaiya had identified Malik and three others as her kidnappers. Public prosecutor Monika Kohli said Rubaiya Sayeed was expected to be present in the court on Tuesday. The warrant was issued to ensure her presence in the next hearing, she said. At the time of her abduction on December 8, 1989, Rubaiya was an intern at Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar. She was freed from captivity five days later on December 13 after the then VP Singh government released five JKLF terrorists—Hamid Sheikh, Altaf Ahmed Bhat, Noor Mohd Kalwal, Javed Ahmed Zarger and Sher Khan.

The CBI took over the probe in 1990 and the case went into virtual cold storage. It was revived after Malik was picked up by the NIA in 2019 on charges of terror funding. The CBI moved an application summoning Rubaiya as she was listed as a prosecution witness.

The next date of hearing is September 21.

4 already identified as her abductors

On July 15, Rubaiya had identified Malik and three others before the court as her abductors. Taken captive in December 1989, she was freed by JKLF terrorists after five days when the government released five militants.