Politics · India · 1 hr ago
J&K court orders release of two men after six years in custody
A court in Sopore ordered two men released after they spent six years in custody in Jammu and Kashmir.
Huzaif Firdous Bhat and Ajaz Ahmad Khan had been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.
Police said their vehicle carried grenades, ammunition and papers marked with the initials of a terrorist group.
The judge found that the evidence did not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The court said that suspicion alone cannot replace proof, and that an allegation of association with a terrorist organisation was not enough to prove intentional support.
Kashmir’s chief cleric said the case showed the human cost of prolonged detention, while the court ordered the men’s immediate release.
The seized property is to be dealt with under the law after the appeal period expires.
A Jammu and Kashmir court ordered the release of two men after six years in custody, finding that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Special Judge Feroz Ahmad Khan said suspicion could not replace proof.
Huzaif Firdous Bhat and Ajaz Ahmad Khan had been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.
Police alleged the men were travelling with grenades, ammunition and papers bearing the letters “LeT”.
Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the case highlighted the human cost of prolonged detention.
- Who
- Huzaif Firdous Bhat and Ajaz Ahmad Khan, two men from north Kashmir.
- What
- A court ordered their immediate release after finding the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
- When
- November 10, 2026. The men had been in custody for six years.
- Where
- Sopore, Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir.
- Why
- The court found the evidence insufficient to prove the essential elements of the offences.
The prosecution and police
The court
Alleged evidence
The prosecution and police
Police said the men were in a vehicle carrying two grenades, 100 live AK-47 rounds and papers bearing the letters “LeT”.
The court
The court found the evidence on record fell short of the standard required for conviction.
Charges
The prosecution and police
The men were booked under provisions of the UAPA and Arms Act.
The court
The court said the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Bhat and Khan were booked under provisions of the UAPA and Arms Act.
The court ordered the men’s immediate release after finding the prosecution had not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
- Men ordered released
- Huzaif Firdous Bhat and Ajaz Ahmad Khan
- Time in custody
- Six years
- Court
- Special Judge Feroz Ahmad Khan, Sopore, Baramulla
- Charges
- UAPA and Arms Act
- Police-alleged vehicle contents
- Two grenades and 100 live AK-47 rounds
1 source
What people are saying
suspicion, however grave, cannot substitute proof
The prosecution must travel the entire distance from suspicion to legal proof.
Will accountability be fixed for their wasted years?