The 1989 Rubaiya Sayeed Kidnapping Case: A Pivotal Moment in Kashmir's Terrorism History

Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

New Delhi:

The protracted 36-year manhunt concluded Monday night with the capture of Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, a suspect in the 1989 abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Shangloo, who allegedly collaborated with Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik and his accomplices, was apprehended in Srinagar. Authorities had placed a Rs 10 lakh bounty on his capture.

The 1989 Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping occurred on December 8, when terrorists affiliated with the JKLF abducted her while returning from a Srinagar hospital. The incident happened shortly after her father assumed the position of Union Home Minister.

The kidnappers presented the government with a significant ultimatum - release five detained terrorist associates in exchange for Rubaiya's freedom.

This placed the VP Singh administration in a difficult dilemma. The situation involved both a cabinet minister's daughter and the potential security risks of releasing known terrorists back into society.

Following five days of negotiations, demonstrations, and heightened tensions, the government yielded to the kidnappers' demands on December 13, releasing five terrorists.

Subsequently, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's third daughter, Rubaiya, was freed by her captors.

This unprecedented decision to release terrorists in exchange for a hostage reportedly catalyzed increased terrorist activity in Kashmir, with many analysts identifying this as a critical historical turning point.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) assumed jurisdiction over the investigation in 1990, offering rewards for information leading to Yasin Malik, the primary suspect, and his associates.

Malik is currently incarcerated in Tihar Jail, having been sentenced by a special National Investigative Agency (NIA) court in May 2023 for terror-funding activities.

In 2023, an eyewitness identified both Malik and another suspect, Mohammad Zaman, during court proceedings.

The case continues in the TADA court in Jammu, established specifically to handle cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act of 1987.

Rubaiya Sayeed, now residing in Tamil Nadu, remains listed as a prosecution witness by the CBI.