Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: The one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing into the high-profile death of Haji Mohammed Yusuf, a ruling National Conference party worker, has said he died of heart attack.
Former Supreme Court judge, Justice HS Bedi submitted his report after a year of investigations into the death of Yousuf, who died in police custody last year on September 30. The previous evening, Yusuf had met chief minister Omar Abdullah at the latter’s residence after he was summoned over accusations of corruption.
Yousuf’s family accused the CM of torturing Yousuf there while a state autopsy maintained that he died of cardiac arrest.
“On a cumulative assessment of the evidence on record it must be found that the death of Haji Syed Mohammad Yousuf was caused by myocardial infarction which as Dr. Noor says would mean a “heart attack” and that no suspicious circumstances can be spelt out,” the report says.
An influential worker of the National Conference, which rules the state in coalition with the Congress, Yousuf had allegedly taken a bribe of Rs 1.2 crore from two of his party colleagues, promising them berths in the state ministry and legislative council.
He reportedly had a heated argument with Abdullah at the latter’s residence before being taken into custody by the police. He died the next day at a police hospital.
“The evidence also reveals that the deceased had received proper treatment while in the hospital and Dr Kuchay had done his duty as per the needs of the patient. No lapse , therefore, can be attributed to either (then IG Crime) Raja Aijaz Ali or Dr. Kuchay in the discharge of their duties,” the report says.
The report has, however, held two policemen including an officer for failing to discharge their duty as per law.
“DSP Bashir Ahmad Ganai has admitted in his evidence that he had not himself conveyed the information about the arrest and detention of the deceased to his associates/relatives but had passed on this duty to Munshi Nazir Ahmad,” it reads.
The Jammu and Kashmir High court had denied the request of the state government to appoint a sitting judge to probe the death after accusations of “foul play” by the family of the deceased against CM and union minister and National Conference patron, Farooq Abdullah.
But the authorities were forced to appoint a commission of inquiry after furore by main opposition People’s Democratic Party and the separatists.
