Court convicts duo for kidnapping, murder

Srinagar, Aug 17: The Principal Sessions Court Pulwama Saturday convicted two persons for kidnapping, ransom and murder of a youth in south Kashmir’s Pampore in 2011.

In a 233 page judgment, Principal Sessions Judge Pulwama, Naseer Ahmad Dar convicted Muhammad Younis Dar and Javaid Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Rakh Shalina, Tangan Nowgam budgam for ransom, kidnapping and murder of Kaleem Qadri of Pampore.

The court however acquitted Abid Hussain Bhat and his wife MahaJabina of Tangan Nowgam in the case.

The prime accused Nazar Muhammad Dar of Rakh Shalina Nowgam who escaped from police custody in 2016 while being taken for treatment to SMHS has already been declared as proclaimed offender and proceedings under section 512 of CRPC were initiated against him.

Advocate G.M. Dar was appointed as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting proceedings of the case on behalf of the State. The Court will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment on August 22.

According to police, on October 28, 2011 Javaid Ahmad Qadri of Gousia Colony Pampore lodged a missing report of his son, Kaleem Qadri in Police Station Pampore. During the investigation it was found that he had traveled towards Srinagar in his Car Ford Figo bearing registration number JK01Q-1711 at about 5:30 PM after dropping his father at Frestabal.

At about 10:30 PM, father of Kaleem informed the Police Station that he received a phone call from the mobile number of his son and the caller identified himself as kidnapper belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit and threatened him not to inform the Police. The kidnapper demanded a ransom of rupees one crore from the father for the release of his son.

Subsequently a case FIR No. 169/2011 under relevant sections of Law was registered in Police Station Pampore. A joint team of Awantipora and Srinagar Police was constituted to investigate the case.

During investigation of the case, the finger of suspicion went towards Nazar Muhammad Dar of Rakh Shalina Nowgam who was last seen with kaleem in the car.

A Police party was dispatched to the residence of Nazar to call him for questioning. During sustained questioning, he revealed that he was a close friend of Kaleem but for some time their relationship was strained.

Nazar developed ill intentions towards Kaleem and hatched a conspiracy along with his brother Younis Ahmad Dar and his friend Javaid Ahmad Bhat to kidnap the deceased and demand ransom from his father.

Acting upon the conspiracy hatched, Nazar lured Kaleem to move towards Srinagar where he promised him to sell his I-Pad for a good amount. On reaching Lasjan bridge, the other two accomplices namely Javaid and Younis also boarded the Car and moved towards Nowgam. Enroute, Kaleem was strangled to death in the vehicle with a waist belt which was brought by the accused with them.

Thereafter they moved towards village Wapora of district Budgam and wrapped the dead body in a bed sheet that was already brought by the accused persons along. The accused put the body in the Dickey of the vehicle and moved towards Bemina, Shalteng area to pass the time as they were waiting for the darkness to descend, so as to dispose of the body.

At about 9:30 PM they brought the body at Sheerbagh Lasjan where it was loaded on a boat and thrown in the middle of the river with some stones tied with it. The car of the deceased was taken to Jawahar Nagar and was parked near FootBridge. After parking the vehicle, accused made a phone call to the father of the kaleem, telling him that the vehicle was parked near footbridge. He was also told not to inform the Police and demanded Rs one crore from him as ransom for which, he said, a call would be made next morning.

During the investigation Nazar and Youns made disclosure statements upon which the belongings of deceased including his I- Pad, cell phone etc were recovered and also the body of Kaleem was retrieved from river Jehlum.

After completion of the formalities the body was handed over to his legal heirs for last rites.

Following the investigation, the charge sheet was filed before the court judicial magistrate 1st class Pampore who committed the same to the court of Principal Sessions Judge Pulwama. Formal charge was framed against the accused and prosecution produced and examined 36 witnesses.