Farooq Ahmed Dar known by his

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Bitta Karate, is a Kashmiri-separatist militant, who currently serves as the chairman of the

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) is a militant separatist organization active in both the Indian-administered and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir. It was founded by Amanullah Khan, with Maqbool Bhat also credited as a co ...

(R) in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. Dar has admitted on camera to killing multiple Kashmiri Hindu Pandits during the 1990 Kashmir insurgency leading up to the

exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

of Kashmiri Pandits. He however later claimed that he hadn't killed any Pandits and that the statement was made under duress. He was imprisoned from 1990 until 2006 under terrorism-related charges before being released on bail. He was arrested again in 2019 for financing terrorism.

Early life

Dar was born on 1 January 1973 in the Guru Bazar neighbourhood of the city of

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...

in the

into a

Kashmiri Muslim Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir. Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has b ...

family of the Dar clan. While "Bitta" was his pet name, he was given the suffix "Karate" because of his mastery in

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...

. Dar used to work for his

family business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by blood or marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business and the willingn ...

until he left his home to become a militant in his early 20s. He became infamous during the militancy of the 1990s.

Militancy

In 1988, Farooq Ahmed Dar was taken across the LoC to Pakistan-administered Kashmir by the then JKLF chief commander Ashfaq Majeed Wani for armed training. Dar was

blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindf ...

ed and then taken to Pakistan-administered Kashmir along with other "trainees" where they received 32-day armed training. Farooq Ahmad Dar operated as a militant of the

and participated in the militant activities. He has admitted on camera to have killed over 20 Kashmiri Pandits. His first victim was a young businessman, Satish Kumar Tickoo, whom Dar knew and often took a lift from. Tickoo was called out of his house and shot to be killed on 2 February 1990. He apparently used to get orders (for execution) from Ashfaq Majeed Wani or other superiors in the JKLF. According to Kashmiri Muslim sources in downtown Kashmir, Dar would walk armed on the streets of

in search of Kashmiri Pandits and on spotting, he would take out his pistol and shoot at them. He used

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, a ...

s to kill civilians and

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

to attack and fire at

Indian Security Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...

. He admitted to killing at least 20 people in 1990 during the insurgency. According to the convener of Panun Kashmir, he had admitted to killing 42 Kashmiri Pandits. Dar later claimed that he hadn't killed any Pandits and that the statement was made under duress.

1990 arrest

Farooq Ahmed Dar, along with two of his associates, was arrested by

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...

on 22 June 1990 from

. He was arrested and detained under the Public Safety Act and had 19 cases against him. He remained under detention for 16 years and was released on indefinite bail in October 2006. Dar was detained in various prisons across India. He served time in Kot Bhalwal Jail in

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

, District Jail in

Kathua Kathua is a city and municipal council located in Kathua district of Jammu Division of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, near its border with Punjab, India and Himachal Pradesh. The city is headquarters of Kathua district and is ...

, Central Jail in

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...

, Central Jail in

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra ...

etc.

2006 indefinite bail and release

On 23 October 2006, a court enforcing

Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly known as TADA, was an Indian anti-terrorism law which was in force between 1985 and 1995 (modified in 1987) under the background of the Punjab insurgency and was applied to whole of ...

(TADA court) in

granted bail to Dar and he was handed over to his family on 25 October 2006. He was initially granted bail for four months against a

bail bond Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required. In some countrie ...

and personal surety of each. Dar was released after spending 16 years in jail. His detention under the Public Safety Act was quashed by the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

before his release from jail. His release was condemned by several Kashmiri Pandit organizations. Dar got a warm reception from his supporters in Kashmir. Large number of supporters assembled at his house where flower petals and

confetti Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar, or metallic material which are usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''co ...

was showered on him. Then, Dar was taken out in a procession to an

Eidgah Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah ( fa, "site of Eid bservances; bn, ঈদগাহ; pnb, ; ur, ; hi, ईदगाह) is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at th ...

where prayers were offered. While dictating the verdict, the TADA court judge, Justice Wani remarked:

2006-2019 political career

Upon release from detention, Dar joined the

(R) where he worked his way up to become its chairman.

2019 arrest and detention in terror funding case

The

National Investigation Agency The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...

(NIA) arrested him again in 2019 on charges of terror funding. NIA has charged Dar, Sayeed Salahudeen, and others of "conspiring to wage war against the government" and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley. His co-accused is the

Hizbul Mujahideen Hizbul Mujahideen, also spelled Hizb-ul-Mujahideen ( ar, حزب المجاھدین, ), is an Islamism, Islamist militant organization operating in the Kashmir region. Its goal is to separate Kashmir Valley, Kashmir from India and merge it with ...

's head

Sayeed Salahudeen Mohammad Yusuf Shah, commonly known as Syed Salahuddin, is the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a separatist organization operating in Kashmir. He also heads the United Jihad Council, a Pakistan-based conglomeration of jihadist militant groups sponso ...

. A Kashmiri pandit has called for the reopening of the trial against Dar.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

* Manoj Raghuvanshi
Portrait of a Killer: An interview with Bitta Karate
Newstrack (via Newslaundry), 29 May 2017, original footage from 1990.
JKLF Leader Bitta Karate Admits To Killing 20 Kashmiri Pandits
India Today (via YouTube), 23 May 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dar, Farooq Ahmed Living people 1973 births Kashmiri people 21st-century Indian Muslims Kashmiri Muslims People from Srinagar Indian criminals Kashmiri militants Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front