Two militants who were involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, father of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have been arrested after more than three decades, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Tuesday.
Mirwaiz Farooq was shot dead in his house at Nigeen in Srinagar on May 21, 1990.
Special Director General of Police (CID) R.R. Swain told the media in Srinagar that the arrested militants included the one who entered the bedroom of Mirwaiz Farooq and fired at him.
The Nigeen police had filed an FIR, but the case was later transferred to CBI, Swain said. “The CBI arrested one of the accused and filed a chargesheet against him at a TADA court which awarded him a life sentence.”
The officer said the investigations into the case revealed that the plot to kill Mirwaiz was planned by Hizbul Mujahideen commander Abdullah Bangroo.
“Bangroo and his associate were killed in encounters while one accused was serving a life sentence,’’ he said. “Two other accused, Javaid Bhat and Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, both residents of Srinagar, were evading arrest and were hiding in Pakistan and Nepal. They have been arrested by the State Investigating Agency (SIA) and handed over to the CBI.”
Swain said Bhat was the one who had shot Mirwaiz in his bedroom .
He, however, didn’t reveal where the duo were arrested from.
The killing of Mirwaiz had sparked widespread anger in Kashmir and accentuated the political and security crisis due to the eruption of militancy. Several people were killed after security forces opened fire on a procession during the funeral of Mirwaiz.
After the killing of Mirwaiz, who was widely revered and respected in Kashmir and outside, the Centre removed then governor Jagmohan Malhotra due to worsening situation in Kashmir.
The Mirwaiz family is the custodian of Jama Masjid, the most important and historic mosque in Kashmir, which has remained mostly shut for congregational prayers after the removal of Article 370.