Babar Qadri Murder Case | NIA Court Frames UAPA Charges Against Former Kashmir Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom

The Special NIA Court in Jammu has formally framed charges against Mian Abdul Qayoom, ex-president of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association, in connection with the killing of advocate Babar Qadri.

The NIA court has charged Qayoom under Sections 16, 18, and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, relating to terrorist acts, conspiracy, and membership of a banned organisation.

The case, which had been transferred to the SIA in July 2023 over apprehensions of pressure and interference in Srinagar, saw its chargesheet filed earlier by the agency.

The case arose from the assassination of Advocate Syed Babar Qadri, who was gunned down by unidentified terrorists at his residence in Srinagar on September 24, 2020.

The killing led to the registration of FIR No. 62/2020 under Sections 307 (later converted to 302) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 7/27 of the Arms Act, and Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The investigation initially resulted in a charge sheet against six accused, excluding Qayoom. However, a subsequent Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in 2022 initiated further investigation, leading to Qayoom's arrest on June 25, 2024.

In court, Qayoom was defended by Senior Advocates R.A. Jan and Z.A. Qureshi along with Advocate Zulkernain Sheikh, whereas the prosecution was represented by a team of Special Public Prosecutors backed by SIA Pairvi Officers.

With the framing of charges, the matter now moves to trial, an important step forward in a case that has unsettled the Kashmiri legal fraternity ever since Qadri's assassination five years ago.