By IANS,
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday asked union Law Minister Salman Khurshid to suggest the name of a retired Supreme Court judge to conduct a judicial enquiry into the death of National Conference worker Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf.
The name has been asked for appointment as a Commission of Inquiry under the Jammu and Kashmir Commission of Inquiries Act, 1962.
Abdullah wrote a letter to this effect to Khurshid 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 enquiry”, according to an official spokesman.
“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 with the constitution of the commission at the earliest,” the spokesman said.
Yousuf was accused by two of his fellow party workers of having taken Rs.1.18 crore to get one of them a ministerial berth and the other a legislator’s seat in the state.
The three were called by Abdullah to his residence where Yousuf allegedly admitted having taken money after which he was handed over to the crime branch of the state police.
He died in the police hospital Sep 30 morning, a day after he was handed over to the crime branch.
The family of the deceased alleged that he was tortured which resulted in his death. The family has also moved a court, urging it to hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The court, after hearing the plea for the second day Saturday, reserved its judgment on the petition.