A special TADA court in Jammu has set aside the CBI&rsquo;s arrest of former JKLF activist Shafat Ahmed Shangloo, releasing him less than a day after the agency claimed to have apprehended an &ldquo;absconder&rdquo; in the 1989 Dr Rubayya Sayeed kidnapping case.
The CBI had announced on Monday that Shangloo, who was allegedly carrying a reward of ₹10 lakh, had conspired with jailed JKLF chairman Yasin Malik in the abduction of Rubayya, daughter of the then Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. 
The abduction and subsequent release of five militants is widely viewed as a turning point in the rise of militancy in Kashmir.
However, the CBI&rsquo;s attempt to secure Shangloo&rsquo;s custody on Tuesday was rejected by the court. 
&ldquo;He has been set free,&rdquo; his lawyer Suhail Dar told reporters, adding that the judge found &ldquo;there was nothing (no evidence) against him.&rdquo;
Dar said the investigating officer had earlier extended the benefit of Section 159 of the CrPC to Shangloo on the grounds of insufficient evidence. 
The court, after reviewing the documents, upheld that position.
Reacting to the order, Shangloo said, &ldquo;It is a victory for the truth.&rdquo;
The CBI has not issued a fresh statement following the court&rsquo;s decision.

Court frees accused in decades-old abduction case

Jammu court rejects CBI plea, freeing Shangloo in the decades-old Rubayya abduction case

CBI Setback As Court Frees Rubayya Case Accused

Jammu court rejects CBI plea, freeing Shangloo in the decades-old Rubayya abduction case

December 3, 2025 | 10:32 IST