A senior police official in Kashmir is learnt to have approached the wife of a jailed separatist asking her to convince him to join the mainstream.

In a significant revelation, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain, is learnt to have approached the wife of jailed separatist leader and chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF-R), Farooq Ahmad Dar, telling her that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was asking her to prevail upon her husband to join the mainstream.

Dar is in Tihar jail after a case was registered against him by the NIA for “fanning unrest” in Kashmir in 2016 , following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Muzafar Wani. More than 70 civilians were killed and thousands were injured in clashes following Wani's death.

Dar's wife, Assabah Khan, works as an an assistant director in the social welfare department. She said that the officer told her that the NIA is “seeking to cut a deal with Farooq’’ and he will be let off if he gives up the “path of separatism.” Earlier, he remained in detention for different militancy-related cases for 16 years. He was released in October 2006. NIA has accused Dar of having “huge assets” in Srinagar, a claim which the family has denied.

Assabah showed the Whatsapp messages in which Hussain asked her to convince her husband to give up the “path of violence.” The messages were sent to her by him in August and Assabah said that New Delhi was trying to “cut a deal” with Dar and was even “pressurising him to join the BJP.”

However Imtiyaz said that he didn’t meet her in any official capacity.

The JKLF leader's wife said that the police officer told her that he was sent by the NIA, and that in case Dar agreed to join the mainstream, he will be set free.

As per the Whatsapp messages, Assabah Khan told Hussain that she was “ready to receive the dead body of my husband, but not strike any deal with NIA.”

Though the SSP is posted in Barmaulla, he met Assabah on 20 August in Srinagar at a coffee shop. The meeting, Assabah said, lasted for nearly 15-20 minutes in which the police officer asked her to prevail on her husband to help the NIA.

A day later, she flew to New Delhi to meet her husband for the first time after his arrest. She conveyed to him that Imtiyaz was “sent by the NIA asking her to convince him to give up separatism.”

However Assabah told Firstpost that “my husband” was furious and said, “Why did I listen to that man?’’

“I did not know Imtiyaz. I got a request for a meeting on Messenger and I thought it was sent mistakenly to me. But later he sent messages on Whatsapp and we met on the evening of 20 August. This was after he told me that he wanted to discuss Farooq’s arrest and was SSP Baramulla,” she said, adding that “Imtiyaz told me that Farooq is a person who is least involved and if he co-operates with the NIA, we can really help him. You must prevail on him to become the approver of NIA once you meet him at Tihar jail.”

Assabah said that nearly a month after her husband was jailed at Tihar, she met him and he was in dishevelled state. “The NIA had not even given him clothes which he had taken along. He had not changed his clothes for a month. ’’

She further said that recently, she was also approached by people asking her if she wanted to make a deal with New Delhi with a former Intelligence Bureau chief.

The following are the contents of the Whatsapp chat between the SSP and Assabah Khan—

[8/20, 16:01] Assabah Khan: Wt z d status of our meeting ?

[8/20, 16:01] Assabah Khan: Are we meeting r nt meeting

[8/20, 16:02] Assabah Khan: Cud you kindly let me know

[8/20, 16:03] Assabah Khan: I am asking bcoz I have to come from Dargah Shareef

[8/20, 17:22] Imtiyaz Hussain: How long will it take you to arrive ?

[8/21, 09:05] Assabah Khan: When Imam Khomeini Who revolutionised whole of Iran died, his worldly possessions were a bucket to perform ablutions and few books. Not money bt strength of character and mental calibre defines great leaders. Imam Khomeini z my ideal. Let us make him ideal for the universe

[8/21, 09:06] Imtiyaz Hussain: Won't comment on this.

[8/21, 09:54] Assabah Khan: I am very much ready to receive the dead body of my husband bt I will nt strike any deal with NIA.

[8/21, 09:55] Assabah Khan: I am ready for my own death but I will nt cheat this nation

[8/21, 09:56] Assabah Khan: Let me suffer let him suffer I cannot die with any burden on my conscience

[8/21, 09:57] Imtiyaz Hussain: It's not about cheating. It's about standing firm on principles but ensuring justice is delivered to your husband if he is innocent

[8/21, 09:58] Imtiyaz Hussain: And punishing those who have made fortune out of blood money.

[8/21, 09:58] Imtiyaz Hussain: A poor man's son has to die so that others make money

[8/21, 09:59] Imtiyaz Hussain: This needs to be stopped Assabah

[8/21, 09:59] Imtiyaz Hussain: Political ideologies apart

[8/21, 09:59] Imtiyaz Hussain: It's not being traitor or being loyal

[8/21, 09:59] Imtiyaz Hussain: It's basic humanity

[8/21, 10:01] Imtiyaz Hussain: Absolutely no issues for political or ideological position of anyone. They are within their rights to have one. But violence is not in anybody's interest.

[8/21, 10:01] Imtiyaz Hussain: We can't afford to lose our boys

[8/21, 10:01] Assabah Khan: Yes I agree

[8/21, 10:01] Imtiyaz Hussain: Like we do everyday

[8/21, 10:01] Imtiyaz Hussain: This madness has to stop

[8/21, 10:02] Imtiyaz Hussain: And it will stop when big sharks thriving on the blood of our children are neutralised

[8/21, 10:02] Imtiyaz Hussain: That's my point

[8/21, 10:03] Imtiyaz Hussain: You may have an option of escaping from Kashmir and secure the future of your kid but what about millions of Kashmiris