TADA court acquits 11 accused of disrupting 1987 polls

SRINAGAR, Dec 28: After long drawn trial, a TADA court here has acquitted 11 persons accused of ‘disrupting poll process and unleashing terror’ in 1987 Assembly elections.  Muzaffar Iqbal Qureshi, the Additional District Judge (TADA) Kashmir acquitted the 11 accused after prosecution, reportedly, failed to adduce the evidence. The court said despite many opportunities granted to prosecution to produce witnesses, not a single witness was produced before the court. “…in the interest of justice, prosecution evidence is closed now and consequently the persons who faced trial are acquitted with honour from the charged offences of TADA Act and RPC,” the court said. The matter pertains to police station Sheergarhi that had registered a case against 20 people in 1987 allegedly for committing offences under sections 3(1) (2) of the TADA Act and under various criminal sections of RPC.

The acquitted include Abdul Hamid Bakshi, Abdul Qayoom Bhat of Gawkadal, Parvaiz Ahmad Dar of Maisuma, Nazir Ahmad Dar of Gawkadal, Istiyaq Ahmad Chinkar of Natipora, Muhammad Shafi Rather of Rajbagh, Zahoor Ahmad Chiloo, Nazir Ahmad Peerzada of Fatehkadal, Farooq Ahmad Gojri of Reshi Mohalla Srinagar and Mushtaq Ahmad of Mahrajbazar.

During trial that stretched over 25 years, JKLF leader Abdul Hamid Sheikh and other two accused Tariq Ahmad Beig of Dalal Mohalla and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of Saraibal died. For not attending the proceedings, the court however issued arrest warrants under section 512 of CrPC against the accused Himayun Ahmad Azad of Rajbagh, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat of Nowhatta, Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat of Dalal Mohalla, Mehrajudin Bhat of Nawabazar, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat of Batamaloo and Shabir Ahmad Bhat of Gurubazar.

According to police, the accused had picked canes and swords and ‘unleashed terror’ at the Convent School where polling for the Assembly elections was going on. “The accused had tried to set the school building on fire and had torched a jeep and damaged other vehicles,” the chargesheet said. Later, the chargesheet added, that the accused had proceeded towards Tagore Hall and boarded a jeep there and tried to kill police personnel and people.

Source: http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=9967