The 36-year-long chase came to an end on Monday night with the arrest of Shafat Ahmed Shangloo in the 1989 kidnapping case of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Shangloo, accused of conspiring with Yasin Malik, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), and his associates, was arrested from Srinagar. He carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh.
What Is 1989 Rubaiya Sayeed Kidnapping Case?
On December 8, 1989, Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was kidnapped on her way back home from a hospital in Srinagar. She was kidnapped by terrorists affiliated with the JKLF.
The incident occurred days after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over as the Union Home Minister.
The terrorists placed a significant demand before the government in exchange for Rubaiya's freedom - release of their five arrested terrorist associates.
This put the then VP Singh government under immense pressure. On one hand it was a minister's daughter and on the other, the release of terrorist associates meant exposing the country to future possible terror attacks.
After five days of negotiation, protests, and tension, on December 13, the government conceded to the terrorists' demands and released five terrorists.
In exchange, Sayeed's third daughter, Rubaiya, was released.
This was the first time the government released terrorists in exchange for a kidnapping. This reportedly led to a further increase in terrorism in Kashmir, and many experts consider this a turning point.
1989 Rubaiya Sayeed Kidnapping Case Probe
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case in 1990 and announced rewards against Yasin Malik, a prime accused in the kidnapping case, and his associates.
Malik is lodged in Tihar Jail after being sentenced by a special National Investigative Agency (NIA) court in May 2023 in a terror-funding case.
Malik, and another accused, Mohammad Zaman, were identified by an eyewitness in court in 2023 .
The case is still ongoing in the TADA court, established to handle cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) of 1987, in Jammu.
Rubaiya Sayeed, who now lives in Tamil Nadu, is listed as a prosecution witness by the CBI.
