Rubaiya Sayeed, then a doctor at Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar, was kidnapped on December 8, 1989, barely half a kilometer from her home. The abductors demanded the release of seven jailed JKLF operatives, but the government, led by Prime Minister V.P. Singh, released five terrorists to secure her freedom. The incident triggered nationwide attention and marked a turning point in the region’s insurgency.
Shangloo, now in CBI custody, faces charges under the Ranbir Penal Code and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). He had reportedly managed JKLF’s finances and played a central role in the conspiracy alongside Malik and others. A reward of Rs 10 lakh had been announced for his capture. He will be produced before a special TADA Court in Jammu.
Rubaiya Sayeed has been listed as a government witness in the ongoing investigation. The case, which the CBI took over in 1990, has already seen charges framed against Yasin Malik and nine other accused. The kidnapping was orchestrated by JKLF leader Ashfaq Majeed Wani, who intended to destabilize the government and leverage political concessions. Wani was later killed in a security operation in 1990.
Officials noted that the arrest of Shangloo closes a long-pending chapter in one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most high-profile kidnapping cases. The development underscores continuing efforts by investigative agencies to bring fugitives involved in historic terror-related crimes to justice.
