Relief for Omar Abdullah: Court says no to CBI Probe

Srinagar: In a relief to Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Omar Abdullah, a special anti-corruption court on Tuesday rejected a plea for CBI probe into National Conference activist Haji Syed Mohammad Yousuf’s death.
The family of Yousuf, who allegedly died in police custody last month, had demanded a CBI probe in the case involving Omar.
In a blow to Omar, Yesterday, the Supreme Court had sought the Union government’s response on a plea for CBI probe into the mysterious death of Yousuf.
A bench of justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar also issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir government seeking their replies within two weeks.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court had rejected the request of the state government to spare the services of a sitting judge for probing the case.
Following the rejection of the request by the Chief Justice, the state government had written a letter to Union Law Minister Salman Khursheed seeking names of three retired Supreme Court judges out of whom one will be appointed to probe the incident.
It is worth mentioning that the death of Yousuf had sparked a major political row as another National Conference worker Abdul Salam Reshi had alleged the deceased had taken Rs. 34 lakh from him and Rs. 84 lakh from another party worker Mohammad Yousuf Bhat for getting them berths in the state legislative council.
Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had handed over Syed Mohammad Yousuf to the Crime Branch on September 29 after the latter had admitted to taking money from the other two party workers. Meanwhile, the family of Yousuf has said that they will approach High Court for the CBI probe into his custodial death.