Srinagar, May 12 : Court on Thursday directed police to file status report on the progress made in the extradition of Major Avtar Singh, accused in the killing of prominent lawyer and human rights activist Jaleel Andrabi, who was kidnapped and killed by forces in 1996.
 Chief Judicial Magistrate Yashpal Bourney directed the Inspector General of Police, Crime Department, to file the status report by May 30.
 Singh was arrested on February 21 in California, US, in a domestic violence case and later released on bail. He is wanted in five murder cases including Jaleel’s case in Kashmir.
 Reportedly, California police discovered that Singh was wanted by Interpol, but when they contacted the international police agency and the US State Department, they were told it was not necessary to hold him.
 Counsel for the victim’s family, Arshad Andrabi, submitted before the court that it was very important for the government to get Singh extradited as he was involved in five custodial murder cases.
 Arshad also submitted that Centre government did not implement the High Court order of 1997 in which it was directed not to issue passport to Singh. High Court had also asked the government to produce the personal file of the accused Major.
 “If the passport has been issued, the same should be impounded. The High Court had said in its 1997 order. But the orders were not implemented by the government,” he said. He said Centre government was ‘not serious’ in getting the accused extradited.
 The FIR in the Jaleel Andrabi custodial killing case is 14 years old and the case is pending in the court of CJM for the last more than eight years. The delay in the disposal of the case is mainly due to the non-arrest of Major Avtar.
 Disappeared on March 8, 1996, Jaleel’s body was found 19-days later. In April 1997, the Special Investigation Team of Police presented its initial findings to the High Court. The SIT said that one Major Avtar Singh from the 103rd Unit of the Territorial Army and other soldiers were responsible for the abduction and killing of Jaleel. The SIT was unable to arrest Major Avtar Singh as they ‘could not find him.’

Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 IST