SC notice over National Congress worker’s death

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir governments on a petition seeking CBI probe into the custodial death of National Congress worker Sayeed Muhammad Yusuf. Yusuf ’s death had kicked up a political storm in J&K.

A bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice SS Nijjar issued the notice after senior counsel Bhim Singh told the court that Yusuf ’s death took place under ‘mysterious circumstances’ while in police custody. According to the inquest report, Yusuf had died after suffering a heart attack.

Petitioner Balwant Singh, an MLA of Bhim Singh’s Panthers Party, sought the court direct the state government to hand over the investigation to CBI.

Before issuing the notice, the court told Bhim Singh that doctors had certified that the death happened following a heart attack. It asked if this warranted registration of a case. Bhim Singh referred to an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, wherein guidelines were framed for probing deaths under mysterious circumstances in police custody.

Singh alleged that Yousuf was arrested at the instance of the chief minister. Yousuf had died in police custody a day after he visited chief minister Omar Abdullah. Yusuf was handed over to the police by Abdullah after he reportedly admitted to accepting money, promising favours, from NC workers.