It is said that the arm of the law is very long, and no matter how old the crime becomes, its file is never completely closed. Something similar has happened in the most discussed and controversial case of Kashmir, which is considered a ‘dark chapter’ of Indian history. We are talking about the Rubia Saeed kidnapping case of 1989. The case which shook the entire country. Today, i.e. about 35-36 years after the incident, CBI has cleared the dust of this case and has achieved a major success. On December 1, 2025, CBI arrested another accused in this case from Srinagar. Let us know what this whole matter is? What happened in 1989 and what is the significance of this arrest today after so many years?
That dreadful day of 8 December 1989
The story begins three and a half decades ago. The year was 1989. There was VP Singh’s government at the center and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Home Minister of the country. This was the period when terrorism was spreading its foot in Kashmir, but no one thought that the terrorists would reach the house of the Home Minister of the country.
It was the evening of 8 December 1989. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed, a doctor by profession, was returning home in a mini bus after finishing her duty at Lal Deed Hospital in Srinagar. She was only 23 years old. He had no idea that some people traveling in that bus were not passengers but terrorists of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
The bus was stopped near Sadar police station area and Rubia was abducted at gunpoint. As soon as this news reached Delhi, there was panic. The daughter of the country’s Home Minister was in the custody of terrorists. This had become a big challenge and a matter of embarrassment for the Indian government.
The deal that changed the history of Kashmir
JKLF’s motive behind kidnapping Rubiya was clear, to free their dreaded comrades in jail. The kidnappers put a condition before the government, if you want Rubia’s safety, then release our 5 companions. The government was in trouble. On one side was the life of the Home Minister’s daughter, on the other side was the security of the country and the policy of not bowing down before terrorists. The conversation continued for several days. A lot happened behind the scenes, which is still called ‘diplomatic and political tug of war’.
Finally, on 13 December 1989, the government bowed down. This was a very heavy day for Indian democracy. The government accepted the demand of the terrorists and 5 dreaded terrorists were released. In return, Rubia Saeed was released. Rubia returned home, but this incident boosted the morale of terrorists in Kashmir. They felt that if they kidnapped a big man, they could make the government dance to their tune. Many experts believe that the real beginning of the terrible phase of terrorism in Kashmir was after this incident.
Case in cold storage and 35 years of silence
After Rubia’s release, this matter came under police investigation, then went to TADA court. In the early 1990s the investigation was handed over to the CBI. But, due to the situation in Kashmir, political pressure and fear of witnesses, this case remained in abeyance for years. The files kept gathering dust. Many governments came and went, but no concrete action could be taken against those kidnappers. People had started forgetting that such a case even existed. But the law was doing its work, even if the pace was slow.
2019: Yasin Malik’s arrest and hope awakened
A new twist in this case came when JKLF chief Yasin Malik was arrested in a separate case of terror funding in 2019. Yasin Malik is the same person who is accused of being the mastermind of Rubia Saeed’s kidnapping. Malik’s arrest gave a new opportunity to CBI. The investigating agency again opened the old files. Witnesses were found, evidence was re-examined. The investigation gained momentum and it became clear that the time had come to settle scores. In January 2024, the CBI filed a charge sheet in the TADA court against 10 people, including Yasin Malik. This included names like Ali Mohammad Mir, Mohammad Zaman Mir, Iqbal Ahmed Gandru. Serious allegations like kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and illegal confinement were leveled against them.
CBI’s latest ‘strike’
CBI received a secret information. There was news that a person having relations with the accused in the Rubia Saeed kidnapping case is present in Srinagar. Without wasting any time, the CBI team swung into action and arrested Shafat Ahmed Shunglu. He was arrested from Hawal area of Srinagar. According to sources, Shunglu was first taken to Nishat police station and from there the CBI took him into its custody.
This arrest is very big because it is not easy to catch an absconding accused after 35 years. Over the years, faces change, locations change. But this action of CBI shows that the agency is determined to bring this case to conclusion. CBI officials say that many new secrets can be revealed during the interrogation of Shunglu, which will help in reaching the remaining accused.
That bold step of Rubia Saeed
This case got strength when the victim herself, i.e. Rubia Saeed, came forward and testified. In 2022, Rubia Saeed appeared in the TADA court, breaking decades of silence. It was a very emotional and stressful moment. In the court room, Rubia pointed towards Yasin Malik and three other accused and clearly said, these were the people who had kidnapped me. His identification changed the direction of the case. This gave great strength to the prosecution. Apart from this, another eyewitness told the court that he had seen these accused in Sopore after the 1989 incident and he also knows Shafat Ahmed Shunglu. Some of the accused have even confessed to their crime in statements given before the CBI under Section 164 (CrPC). That means now the noose of the law has tightened completely.
What has changed and what does it mean?
- Hope of Justice: The biggest thing is that justice may be delayed, but not darkness. This arrest is a ray of hope for thousands of victims who believed that influential and powerful criminals get away with it.
- Strong message: This action is a direct message to terrorists and criminals that no matter how many years you hide, the law will find you. There is no ‘expiry date’ for crime.
- Correction of history: The government’s capitulation in 1989 was considered a weakness. Today, by punishing the accused in that case, India is proving that now neither the government bows down nor forgets the old wounds.
- Trust in the system: This activism of CBI shows that if the investigating agencies are determined, they can solve even the oldest cases.
After the arrest of Shafat Ahmed Shunglu, now all eyes are on the next action of CBI. What new revelations will there be in the inquiry? Will there be more arrests? Will Yasin Malik and his associates be sentenced soon?
Is this just a case of kidnapping?
This case is no longer just a kidnapping case. It has become a symbol of the changing situation of Kashmir. While on one hand there was an atmosphere of fear and terror in 1989, on the other hand in 2025 efforts are being made to establish the rule of law.
Why challenges now?
The challenges are still not less. Over the years, many witnesses may have grown old, some may have lost their memories, and some of the accused may have even died. Collecting documents and proving them in court is a difficult task. But the way Rubia Saeed testified and the CBI arrested Shunglu, it seems that this ‘dark chapter’ will now end with justice.
Rubaiya Sayeed Kidnapping Case
