Jammu and Kashmir court issues proclaimed offender notice against Hizbul chief

SRINAGAR: A court in J&K’s Budgam has issued a notice for Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin to appear within a month in a 2002 murder and arms act case, failing which proceedings will be started to declare him a proclaimed offender.

“It has been alleged by police that in order to effect the arrest of the accused, the IO (investigating officer) made every effort to trace and arrest him (Salahuddin) but could not locate his whereabouts in the Valley… reportedly the said accused is putting up in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir,” the proclamation order issued on April 10 reads.

The order cited police’s statements that “searches to apprehend the accused in execution of warrants” had failed to yield results in the case filed in Budgam police station under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 7/25 of Arms Act.

“I am satisfied that the accused is putting up in PoK and there is no chance of his appearance in court. It is impossible for police to arrest him,” the court said. It ordered that the proclamation notice be published in govt gazette and newspapers and for it to be publicly read out in Salahuddin’s native village in J&K to ensure wide publicity.