Engineer Farooq Khan passed away at his native on Sunday night at his residence in Anantnag town’s Janglat Mandi area.
A family member of Khan confirmed his passing away to The Kashmiriyat over the phone and said his Nimaz e Janaza would be performed today.
After he was acquitted by the court in 2015 after spending 18 years in various prisons after which he joined the Democratic Freedom Party.
Farooq as per the family had developed various ailments during his period of detention.
Khan was arrested on May 23, 1996, by infamous Special Task Force (STF) of J&K Police and instantly shifted to Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
Police then alleged that he was involved in Lajpat Nagar blast case. However, four years later he was acquitted by Delhi High Court in the case. Despite that, he continued to face trial in Jaipur blast case and since then was undergoing detention in Jaipur Central Jail.
“I was imprisoned in 1996 from my home on suspicion of receiving a phone call from Delhi and now after two decades of trial I am told that I was innocent,” Khan had said.
“During my incarceration, I found that every Kashmiri detainee is ill-treated in Indian jails,” Khan had told in an interview. “They are tortured, harassed and victimized for being Kashmiris.”
“Their motive is to break the resolve of Kashmiris but what I have noticed during my two decades of incarceration is that the practice turns them more resilient and steadfast towards their goal,” said Khan. “The oppressed Kashmiris don’t expect any justice from their system and hence have no option but to exhibit courage and patience.”
Farooq, 48, had completed his degree in engineering from Madras University and worked in London before joining state’s PHE.