Srinagar :- In a significant development in the high-profile Babar Qadri murder case, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Mian Abdul Qayoom, former President of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Kashmir. The 340-page chargesheet, presented before the 3rd Additional Sessions Judge in Jammu, accuses Qayoom of being the principal conspirator in the 2020 killing of young lawyer Babar Qadri.
According to investigators, Qadri, a promising lawyer in his late twenties, was gunned down by terrorists at his residence in Zahidpura, Srinagar, on September 24, 2020. The assailants, posing as clients with a dummy case file, gained entry to his home before fatally shooting him. Hours before his death, Qadri had participated in a Facebook live session where he expressed fears for his life and criticized Qayoom’s policies.
The SIA’s investigation reveals a deep-rooted conflict between the two lawyers. Qadri had openly challenged Qayoom’s leadership of the HCBA Kashmir and had established the Kashmir Lawyers Club, a dissenting group within the association. He had also planned to contest bar elections against Qayoom, actions that allegedly led to threats against his life.
The chargesheet alleges that Qayoom orchestrated Qadri’s elimination through terrorists affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Qayoom faces charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), including conspiracy to murder.
Following interference in the judicial process and threats to Qadri’s family, the High Court transferred the trial from Srinagar to Jammu in December 2023. Qayoom is currently detained in District Jail Amphalla, Jammu, while further investigation continues under Section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
This case has highlighted tensions within Kashmir’s legal community and raised serious concerns about the safety of professionals who challenge established power structures in the region. The SIA continues its investigation to uncover additional aspects of the conspiracy behind Qadri’s murder.
