33 Years Later, J&K Police Arrests 2 ‘Absconding’ Militants ‘Involved’ in Killing of Mirwaiz Farooq

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday said that they had arrested two allegedly absconding militants believed to be involved in the assassination of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq on May 21, 1990.

The Special Director General of Police (CID) RR Swain, during a press conference at the Police Control Room (PCR) in Srinagar, said that following the killing of Farooq, a case was filed at Nigeen police station under FIR 61/1990. He said the assassination was carried out by at least five militants believed to be affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit.

Amongst them, a top Hizb commander, Abdullah Bangroo – who led the outfit’s Green Army faction – and Rehman Shigan were killed in encounters and couldn’t face trial. Another accused Ayub Dar underwent trial and was convicted for life following which he is serving sentence in Srinagar central jail. The remaining two were allegedly absconding for 33 years and were arrested finally.

The arrests were made by J&K Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA). The two men were identified as Javaid Ahmad Bhat alias Ajmal Khan, a resident of Azad Basti locality in the city outskirts and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat alias Bilal, a resident of Danderkha locality of Srinagar’s Batamalo area.

"The case was transferred from Nigeen station to the CBI, who arrested one accused and presented a charge-sheet before the TADA court, resulting in a life sentence," Swain said.

The police said that the two alleged militants had gone underground and during all these years were variously hiding in Nepal and Pakistan among other places before “surreptitiously” returning back to Kashmir few years ago.

“They maintained a low profile, changing addresses and shifting residences and avoided the gaze of law enforcement agencies,” a police statement read. 

The police in the statement added that Mirwaiz Farooq, the head priest of Kashmir, was killed by Hizbul Mujahideen after he was accused of being a ‘peacenik’ and an ‘Indian agent’.

Swain said that it was Zahoor Bhat who pulled the trigger on Mirwaiz Farooq after entering his residence on the directions of commander Abdullah Bangroo.

The police added that before killing Mirwaiz Farooq, all the five HM militants had gone to Pakistan for arms training in 1990 and after they returned Bangroo allegedly received instructions in April 1990 from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handler in Pakistan to eliminate Mirwaiz.

Mirwaiz Farooq’s killing was one of the high-profile assassinations carried out in Jammu and Kashmir after the outbreak of insurgency in the region. The killing, however, was not claimed by any group causing outrage. A massive procession followed the leader’s body which was being moved from SKIMS hospital in Soura to Mirwaiz Manzil in Rajouri Kadal but when his funeral procession reached Hawal locality, it was fired upon by paramilitary forces that killed about 57 mourners.

Termed a martyr, Mirwaiz Farooq was amongst the first to be buried at Srinagar’s Mazar e Shuhada (Martyr’s graveyard) in Eidgah where many top HM militants including Bangroo were also buried later.

Since then every year, the Awami Action Committee and Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq – who led his father’s charge at the young age of 17 – have been observing Hafte e Shahadat or Martyrdom week to commemorate the deaths of late Mirwaiz and the victim’s of Hawal massacre.

Meanwhile, AAC and the Anjuman held a meeting on Monday in view of the anniversary but said it is unlikely that the commemorative functions including the Fateha Khawani will be allowed. The restrictions have been put in place since 2019 as the members expressed “dismay” over the detention of Mirwaiz Umar.

“Due to restrictions on all kinds of public gatherings, public rally and collective Fateha Khawani (prayers) at Mazar e Shuhada Eidgah for the beloved leader and the martyrs cannot be organised, people are requested to instead offer Fateha at the Mazar at individual level,” Mirwaiz Manzil said in a statement.