SRINAGAR: Former J&K High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) president Mian Qayoom has been arrested in connection with the 2020 murder of outspoken Kashmiri lawyer Babar Qadri, reports said. Qadri, in his 30s, was shot dead by two people who came as clients to his Srinagar house in September 2020. A special team set up by the Jammu and Kashmir police had filed charges against five suspects in August 2021. Kashmir police had said that Saqib Manzoor was also involved in Qadri’s murder. Manzoor was the deputy to Abbas Shiekh, chief commander of The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow front of LeT. Both were shot dead by the security forces in 2021. In 2022, Jammu and Kashmir Police had carried out raids at the residences of three lawyers, including Qayoom, in connection with the murder of Qadri. In September 2023, State Investigation Agency (SIA) had announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for those providing information leading to the arrest of the persons involved in the killing of senior advocate of J&K High Court Babar Qadri. A case FIR No 62/2020 U/S 302 IPC 7/27 IAA 13/16/18/20/39 UA PA was registered into the killing at P/S Lal Bazar Srinagar now SIA Kashmir.
