JK High Court orders release of accused in Minister's killing

Srinagar, Oct 13 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the detention of a law graduate arrested on charges of hatching a conspiracy to assassinate the then Minister of State for Education Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone.

Shabir Ahmad Bukhari was arrested by police for hatching a conspiracy with foreign militants to execute a suicide attack on the Minister at his official residence in the high-security Tulsi Bagh area here on October 18 last year.

The counsel for the accused, Mir Shafqat Hussain, argued that the detainee was an innocent and not involved in the assassination.

He argued that Bukhari was already in custody in connection with a case under section 302 and facing trial in the court of Sessions Judge along with nine other accused.

The counsel said there was no sufficient material before the authorities to pass the detention order against Bukhari.

The High Court, which had reserved the judgement, announced it yesterday allowing the petition with a direction to the State to immediately release the detainee from the custody, if not required in any other case.

UNI AG ASM RK1455