Two militants acquitted after twenty years of their arrest in J&K

Twenty years after their arrest for alleged involvement in terrorist activities, two militants including a Pakistani national were acquitted of the charge by First Additional Sessions Judge, Mohan Singh Parihar, here on Wednesday as prosecution failed to prove its case against them.

Identified as Syed Sajjad Bukhari of Pakistan and Riyaz Ahmad Haji of Kashmir, both were arrested in 1995 on charges of their involvement in incidents of terror leading to the killing of innocent people in Jammu Kashmir. Bukhari was one of the oldest Pakistani prisoners who had been kept in several jails across the country including Nanital and Rajasthan. He was, at present, lodged at Sangroor jail in Punjab, while Riyaz was detained in a UP jail.

Bukhari’s trial, following petition by State Legal Aid Committee chairperson Prof Bhim Singh in the Supreme Court, along with various other militants of foreign origin was shifted to the state. Riyaz, though granted bail by the court, was detained under Public Safety Act.

Bansi Lal Sharma, advocate, state secretary of the State Legal Aid Committee and who has been contesting their case for the last many years, said that their acquittal came as prosecution witnesses turned hostile in the court.