Breather for Omar in custodial death case

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah got a major reprieve on Tuesday when the anti-corruption court dismissed the plea seeking CBI probe against him, his father Farooq Abdullah, junior home minister Nasir Aslam Wani and host of police officers in the mysterious death of National Conference activist Syed Mohammad Yousuf in the alleged ‘cash-for-berth’ scam.

Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, counsel for petitioner Syed Talib Hussain, the son of deceased Yousuf, said the special anti- corruption judge dismissed the petition on the grounds that it does not have the jurisdiction to issue directions to the CBI to register a case against Omar, his father, MoS home and others.

The relief for Omar comes a day after Supreme Court issued notices to the J&K government on the plea seeking CBI probe into the mysterious killing of party activist Haji Mohammad Yousuf in the alleged cash for berth scam.

Yousuf, 61, had died in mysterious circumstances on September 30 a day after Omar handed him over to Crime Branch for investigations.

J&K government had, however, claimed that he died of cardiac arrest. Yousuf had allegedly
received Rs 1.18 crore from two other activists Abdul Salam Reshi and Mohammad Yousuf Bhat promising those berths
in ministry and Legislative Council.