The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Shafat Ahmed Shangloo in connection with the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The arrest comes 36 years after the high-profile abduction that shook the nation and altered the course of Kashmir’s political history.
Rubaiya Sayeed was abducted near Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar on December 8, 1989, by militants of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). She was released five days later after the government agreed to free five jailed militants in exchange. The incident marked one of the earliest and most significant terror-related kidnappings in the Valley.
The accused, Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, son of Saif-ud-Din Shangloo and a resident of Srinagar, was allegedly an office-bearer of the banned JKLF outfit and handled its finances. Investigators stated that Shangloo conspired with Yasin Malik and other JKLF members in orchestrating the abduction. He had been evading arrest for decades and was declared an absconder, with a reward of ₹10 lakh announced for information leading to his capture.
The CBI confirmed that Shangloo was taken into custody from Srinagar and produced before the competent court. The charges against him include conspiracy, kidnapping, and offences under the Ranbir Penal Code and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).
Officials emphasized that this arrest is a major breakthrough in reviving one of India’s most high-profile terror cases. The agency reiterated its commitment to bringing long-pending cases to justice and ensuring accountability for crimes that have had lasting impacts on national security and public trust.
