A Srinagar court on Tuesday rejected a plea for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the “mysterious death” of ruling National Conference (NC) worker Syed Muhammad Yusuf Shah hours after being summoned to the residence of chief minister Omar Abdullah to seek clarification on certain alleged payments in September this year, saying the incident was already being investigated by a judicial magistrate.
“There is no occasion for this court to pass any directions either to the CBI or any local investigating agency to probe the allegations. However, applicant has a forum available to seek redressal in the form of judicial magistrate,” special judge anti-corruption, Muhammad Yusuf Akhoon, ruled while dismissing the petition filed by Syed Talib Hussein, the son of the decease. It comes a day after the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre on a PIL filed by Opposition J&M National Panthers’ Party MLA Balwant Singh raising doubts over Syed’s death and seeking a CBI probe into the incident.
A bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and S.S. Nijjar, while issuing notices to the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre, also sought the response of the DIG and IGP (crime branch) of the state police and the principal secretary of the home department to the petitioner’s argument that justice can only be done if an inquiry is made by an independent agency which was not under the command of the state administration or the police.