TADA court asks Tihar Jail officials to produce Yasin Malik in Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case

BUNTY MAHAJAN

JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 21: The Special TADA Court here on Wednesday issued production warrants against Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik directing the Tihar Jail authorities to physically produce him before it in case relating to abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed.

Pointing out that the next date in the case has been fixed as October 20, CBI counsel Monika Kohli advocate said that the court order followed submission by Yasin Malik that he wanted to cross examine Rubaiya Sayeed himself as he has not engaged any counsel to represent him in the case. Malik, had sought his physical presence in the court so as to cross examine her as the same was not possible to through video conferencing.

The CBI counsel objected to his plea referring to the high court orders for production of all terror accused through video conferencing in the court. She also referred to the Home Department’s order regarding security risk involved in bringing such accused before court.

Rubaiya Sayeed, who had on July 15 identified Yasin Malik and three others as her abductors, was crossed examined by the counsels of other accused today. However, she will have to again appear before court on next date for cross examination by Yasin Malik.

The case dates back to December 8, 1989, when Rubaiya was abducted from a mini-bus in Srinagar, when she was returning home from the Lal Ded Memorial Hospital where she was a medical intern. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was then the Union Home Minister in the V P Singh government.

The JKLF had claimed the abduction and demanded the release of five jailed militants. The militants were freed, and Rubaiya was released after five days in captivity.