Former president of the Kashmir Bar Association, Mian Qayoom, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of advocate Babar Qadri in 2020, officials confirmed.
In September 2020, Qadri, who also served as a TV news channel panellist, was fatally shot at his residence in the Hawal area of the city.
“Former Kashmir Bar Association president advocate Mian Qayoom has been arrested in connection with Qadri’s killing,” a local official stated.
“It was revealed during the investigation that Qayoom was the primary conspirator behind Qadri’s killing,” he added.
Qayoom, who is the father-in-law of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court judge Javed Iqbal Wani, is currently undergoing questioning while further investigations into the case continue, officials emphasized.
Following Qadri’s murder, police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which subsequently transferred the case to the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA).
In August 2022, police conducted searches at Qayoom’s and two other lawyers’ residences in Srinagar, seizing digital devices, bank statements, and other documents as part of their ongoing investigation.
In September 2023, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Qadri’s killers.
Qadri had been an outspoken critic of the bar association leadership, particularly targeting Qayoom, and had reported threats to his life just days before his murder.
Police had earlier implicated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saqib Manzoor, who was killed in an encounter in August 2021, as responsible for Qadri’s murder.
