Don't attack me for handing over Yousuf to cops: Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah has defended the way he handled the case against National Conference worker Mohammed Yousuf Shah

By ET Bureau | Updated: Oct 08, 2011, 08.20 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the way he handled the case against National Conference worker Mohammed Yousuf Shah, whose death has created a major controversy in the state. “Yousuf was a crook whom I dealt with in a transparent manner.

Every party has men like this who will sell political proximity for favours,” Abdullah told a TV channel. Yousuf Shah was summoned by Abdullah to his home on September 30 to seek an explanation from him on the charge that he had taken bribes from party workers.

After talking to Yousuf, as well as the alleged bribe givers, Abdullah handed over him to the Crime Branch. His death, barely 12 hours after he was sent to police custody has set off troubles for the chief minister.

While Yousuf ’s family alleged that he was tortured by the police, the autposy report said that he died after a heart attack and there were no marks of injury on his body. With PDP piling up pressure on the chief minister for his resignation, Abdullah has ordered a probe by a judicial commission.

“I am not losing any sleep (over the incident)...I did no wrong,” Abdullah told the TV channel. Abdullah said that his father did not know that Yousuf was offering government posts for money. But Abdul Salam Reshi, one of the alleged bribe givers, has been claiming that he had complained to the Chief Minister more than two months ago about Yousuf.

Responding to this, the chief minister said: “I'm only human...I forgot to address the complaint of graft immediately.” The Congress, NC’s coalition partner, defended the chief minister. “We need to segregate the two cases (death and the issue of bribery).

As far as death of the NC worker is concerned, the Chief Minister has ordered a judicial enquiry. Let’s allow the probe to be completed,” said Congress spokesman Manish Tewari. A comative Abdullah later said that he will not succumb to his critics and enemies. “I am damn well going to do my job,” he said.

Asked if he had been in touch with the leadership of his coalition partner, Congress, he replied in the negative but went on to say that he had seen some statements from various Congress leaders including their national spokesman (who has supported him).
“My contacts are with Congress ministers, my coalition partners. They are my ministers. That is it. I will not be distracted from that,” he said.

Lashing out at sections of the media for manner in which they were covering the controversy, Abbullah said “fictitious stories and lies that are being presented in the media is something I don't understand.”

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