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Synopsis

In a recent development, the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has apprehended Mian Abdul Qayoom, a prominent lawyer and former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA), in connection with the 2020 assassination of Advocate Babar Qadri.

Qadri, a well-known lawyer and television panellist, was fatally shot inside his Srinagar home in September 2020 by two unidentified gunmen posing as clients. The assailants managed to escape after committing the crime.

Qayoom's arrest occurred on Tuesday morning after he was summoned by the SIA for questioning. Qayoom had a long tenure as the president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Srinagar, spanning over two decades. Qayoom is notably the father-in-law of Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, serving at the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

Before his death, Qadri had posted a video on Facebook where he criticised Qayoom for his political activities within the Bar Association. In the video, Qadri accused Qayoom of using threats and coercion to influence Bar politics since 1990, calling for integrity and dignified political conduct.

Just two days before his murder, Qadri expressed fears for his safety on X, formerly Twitter. He posted a screenshot of a message from Shah Nazir, who praised Qayoom for his sacrifices for the legal community while criticising Qadri.

Police had previously identified Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saqib Manzoor, who was killed in a military operation in August 2021, as being responsible for Qadri’s death. However, the investigation led to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the police, which was later taken over by the SIA. In September 2023, the SIA announced a cash reward of ₹10 lakh for information leading to those involved in Qadri's murder. In 2022, the police conducted raids at the residences of Qayoom and two other lawyers in connection with the case, seizing digital devices and documents.

In August 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, Qayoom was placed under preventive detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA). His detention, based on allegations of "secessionist" tendencies, was upheld by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He remained detained until mid-2020 when the Central government decided not to extend his detention beyond August 6, 2020.