KL Report
SRINAGAR
A Division Bench of Supreme Court of India comprising Justice, B S Chauhan and Justice S A Bobde while hearing the petition seeking an independent inquiry by the CBI into the custodial death of Yousuf Haji, Saturday said that it wanted to implead the son of the deceased victim.
The court told Prof Bhim Singh, Advocate appearing for the petitioner Balwant Singh Mankotia, “if any of the relations of the deceased are available to be impleaded in the petition.”
Advocate Singh submitted in the court that Yousuf’s son, Talib Hussain has already filed an affidavit in this regard urging the Supreme Court that the Government of J&K should be directed to refer his father’s custodial death case to an independent agency namely, CBI.
According to a statement issued by Singh, “The Supreme Court expressed its willingness to hear son or any close relative of the deceased.” The court observed, “We would prefer to hear the son in this matter.”
Yousuf Haji a noted NC activist and associate was summoned by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to his house along with two other NC activists on September 29, 2011. Two NC activists had lodged a complaint against Yousuf Haji that he had taken Rs 84 lacs and Rs 34 lacs respectively to earn them a seat in the Legislative Council. Yousuf was later dispatched to police station.
Yousuf Haji died at about 9.30 a.m. on September 30, 2011. An FIR no.17/2011 was lodged with the Crime Branch.
Pertinently, the state government later ordered a Judicial probe into the death of Haji Yousuf which honorably acquitted Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and other accused.
