Srinagar Oct 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked the Union Law Minister Slaman Khurshid to suggest name of a retired Judge of the Supreme Court for appointment as a Commission of Inquiry under the Jammu and Kashmir Commission of Inquiries Act, 1962, to conduct judicial enquiry in the death of one Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf alias Haji Yousuf S/o Sayeed Ghulam Ahmed R/o Loktipora Bijbehara.
The Chief Minister wrote a letter to this effect to Union Law Minister after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Saturday conveyed its inability to spare the services of any sitting Judge of the High Court for conduct of the said enquiry.
Stressing on the urgency and the sensitivities involved in this matter, the Chief Minister has solicited early response in this matter to enable the State Government to proceed ahead with the constitution of the Commission at the earliest, an official handout said.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court rejected the request of the state government to spare the services of a sitting judge for investigating the death of Syed Yousuf.
In a letter to the state government, Chief Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifulla expressed inability to spare a sitting judge for the probe,” Advocate General, Ishaq Qadri told Greater Kashmir.
“The High Court expressed its inability keeping in view the Supreme Court judgement that the case is not peculiar or of such gravity that a sitting judge will probe it,” the Advocate General said.
The death of Haji Yousuf, an NC activist, had sparked a major political row in the state.
Haji died in mysterious circumstances on September 30 after he was handed-over to the Crime Branch of the state police at the Chief Minster’s residence. Haji Yousuf was summoned to the Chief Minister’s residence following complaint by two fellow party-men Abdul Salam Reshi of Kokernag and Muhammad Yousuf of Ganderbal that they had paid Rs 1.18 crore to him to secure berths in the legislative council and the council of ministers.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST