Rubaiya Sayeed, Mehbooba Mufti's Sister, Identifies Yasin Malik, 3 Others As Her Abductors

The development comes a day after the separatist leader sought approval to for physical appearance in two cases pertaining to kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed.

Yasin Malik. (File Photo/ Getty)

Rubaiya Sayeed, sister of former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, identified JKLF chief Yasin Malik and three others as her abductors in in a case related to her 1989 abduction. Sayeed said this while appearing before a special CBI court earlier in the day. Sayeed appeared before the court  for the first time today. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over investigations into the case in early 1990.

While speaking about the hearing, Sayeed advocate Monica Kohli, who is a CBI lawyer, said that next hearing in the matter will take place on August 23. Kohli also added that Sayeed has identified four accused in total. 

Sayeed, who stays in Tamil Nadu, is listed as a prosecution witness by the central agency. 

Malik, who is the main accused in the case, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a terror funding case. The development comes a day after the separatist leader sought approval to for physical appearance in two cases pertaining to kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed. The other case is related to the killing of Indian Air Force (IAF) officials.

According to reports, Malik wrote to government for a physical appearance before the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court.

Malik's Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) is a banned group in the Valley. The 56-year-old leader, who was sentenced to life by a special NIA court, is currently undergoing a life imprisonment in Delhi's Tihar jail.

Special Judge Praveen Singh pronounced the verdict under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act which will be concurrent and it will run till life.

Malik had pleaded guilty in the matter. In the previous hearing, he told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him, including section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being member of a terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.