Srinagar: In a significant development in a decades-old case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, an alleged aide of Yasin Malik, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), in connection with the 1989 abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Shangloo had been absconding for the past 35 years.

The arrest, made with the assistance of local police in the Nishat area of Srinagar, marks a crucial step forward in the investigation of a case that had been in cold storage for nearly three decades. Shangloo is accused of conspiring with Yasin Malik and others in committing the crime, which includes charges under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The CBI spokesperson stated that Shangloo will be produced before a special court in Jammu.

The 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed occurred on December 8, when she was abducted from a local mini-bus while returning from Lal Ded Memorial Women's Hospital in Srinagar. The JKLF, led by Yasin Malik, demanded the release of five of their associates in exchange for her freedom. The then-V. P. Singh government, under pressure, agreed to the demands, leading to the release of the militants. Rubaiya Sayeed was released on December 13, 1989, after being held captive for five days.

The case was reopened in January 2021, and in 2022, Rubaiya Sayeed identified Yasin Malik as one of her abductors during a court hearing. Yasin Malik is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence in a terror funding case. He has been appearing in court through video conferencing.

Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, allegedly an office bearer of JKLF, was purportedly handling the finances of the organization. He carried a reward of ₹10 lakh on his head.

The kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed is considered a turning point in the Kashmir insurgency, setting the stage for heightened militancy in the region. Some of the militants released in exchange for Rubaiya's freedom were later involved in the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar in 1999.

The CBI's recent arrest of Shangloo underscores the ongoing efforts to bring those involved in the Rubaiya Sayeed abduction to justice, even after three and a half decades. The case continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and legal proceedings, with further hearings scheduled in the special court.