Srinagar, Aug. 18 -- Qayoom, 77, an executive member of separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference, was arrested on June 25, 2024, as the principal conspirator behind Qadri's killing, allegedly by terrorists of the proscribed 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Earlier, Qayoom's habeas corpus petition and his challenge to the arrest and remand process in the case were dismissed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in February, reaffirming the legal propriety of the arrest and investigation.

He was taken into custody by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which took over the case in July 2023, after collecting evidence against him.

"In a significant development in the hig...