The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has suffered a setback amid hopes of a major breakthrough in the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case. The TADA CBI court in Jammu rejected the remand plea of accused Shafat Ahmed Shungloo and released him.
The CBI arrested Shafat Ahmed Shunglu yesterday from Srinagar. A reward of ₹10 lakh was announced on Shungloo and he was alleged to be part of a conspiracy hatched by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). He is alleged to be a close associate of JKLF chief Yasin Malik and a key official in the organization.
The CBI produced him before the TADA court in Jammu today, where the investigating agency had sought his remand. However, the court rejected the CBI’s plea and released him.
Advocate Sohail Dar, lawyer for accused Shungloo, said:
“My client has no connection to this case.”
“The court has rejected the CBI’s petition.”
“He was not involved in this incident at any stage.”
“My client has been released by the court.”
Speaking during the hearing, Advocate Sohail Dar, lawyer for Shafat Ahmed Shungloo, explained that the court acquitted him in this case, noting that he had no involvement in the case and that the investigations that were conducted benefited from it.
The Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case is 35 years old, and proceedings are ongoing against several JKLF members. This court decision is being considered a major setback for the CBI in its investigation of the case.
