Custodial death: SC issues notice to Centre, J&K

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government on a petition seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the custodial death of National Congress (NC) worker Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf. The notice is returnable in two weeks.

An apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice SS Nijjar issued the notice after senior counsel Bhim Singh told the court that the death of the NC activist took place under mysterious circumstances.

Yousuf's death on Sep 30 kicked up a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir as he died in police custody a day after he visited chief minister Omar Abdullah's house. Autopsy report showed he died of cardiac arrest, Omar said.