Breakthrough Arrest: Two Hizbul Militants apprehended 33 Years after the assassination of Mirwaiz Farooq in Kashmir

Thirty three years after the killing of top Kashmiri separatist, Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, police on Tuesday arrested two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in the case.

In a rare press conference, Jammu And Kashmir’s intelligence chief said the terrorists on the run were arrested by the State Intelligence Agency and handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“Long arm of the law finally catches up with two absconding accused. They are being handed over to CBI,” said Rashmi Ranjan Swain, Special Director General of police, CID J&K.

Mr Swain did not disclose the location from where the two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists – Javaid Ahmad Bhat and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat – were arrested.

Mirwaiz Farooq, the head priest of Kashmir, was killed by Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists on May 21, 1990.

Five operatives of Hizbul Mujahideen were accused in the assassination of Mirwaiz, which had triggered protests in Kashmir.

Dozens of protesters were killed and over 200 injured after security forces opened fire at Hawal in downtown Srinagar.

Mr Swain said while the case was investigated by the CBI, both the accused, who were declared as proclaimed offenders, evaded arrest all these years. He added that the two had fled to Pakistan and then Nepal and returned to Kashmir a few years ago.

“Out of five accused, two are already dead. One is facing life imprisonment and two others who were on the run were finally arrested today,” he said.

He said with these arrests “all the accused in Mirwaiz case have been brought to justice”.