Srinagar, October 24, KDC: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has permitted the police to continue their investigation into an extortion case against suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Showkat Gayoor, but restrained the investigating agency from filing the final charge-sheet without its prior permission.
Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal passed the interim directive while hearing a petition filed by Gayoor seeking the quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him at Police Station Pulwama.
After hearing the preliminary arguments advanced by Gayoor’s counsel, Advocate Syed Riyaz Khawar, the High Court issued formal notices to the Union Territory administration and the civilian complainant. Additional Advocate General Alla Ud Din Ganai accepted the notice on behalf of the Home Department and the police, seeking two weeks to file a formal reply.
“Meanwhile, subject to objections from the other side and till the next date of hearing before the Bench, the investigating agency is at liberty to proceed with the investigation in the impugned FIR, however, the challan shall not be filed without prior permission of this Court,” the bench said. The court has listed the matter for its next hearing on November 6, 2026.
The proceedings stem from a criminal case registered in August, when the Jammu and Kashmir Police formally booked Gayoor—then serving as the BJP’s Pulwama District President—under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including extortion, criminal intimidation, and wrongful restraint.
The FIR was lodged following a written complaint by a Budgam-based contractor, Mohammad Yaseen Ganie, who alleged that Gayoor was running a continuous extortion scheme and obstructing authorized soil extraction work for Gurudwara Parbandhak, Barthana, at a site in Parigam, Pulwama.
According to the police complaint, Gayoor demanded an initial extortion sum of Rs 5 lakh to allow the lawful execution of work to continue. When confronted by drivers and workers holding valid government-issued permissions, the politician allegedly used his vehicle to physically block their heavy machinery and threatened to have the workers booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). The complainant further alleged that under continuous pressure and the fear of administrative detention, partial cash payments totaling Rs 54,000 were made to Gayoor in late 2025.
Following the registration of the FIR and the public surfacing of the allegations, the BJP swiftly initiated disciplinary proceedings. On the recommendation of the party’s disciplinary committee, Gayoor was stripped of his position as District President and suspended from all organizational posts pending the outcome of the internal inquiry. (KDC)
