Kashmiri woman in NIA custody tests positive for COVID-19
Srinagar: A Kashmiri woman who is in the National Investigating Agency (NIA) custody has tested positive for COVID-19 in New Delhi on Saturday.
Hina Bashir Beig, 39, was arrested along with her husband Jahanzaib Sami Wani by Delhi police for “having links with Islamic State” on 8 March 2020.
Mr. Sami, who is an IT professional working for a UK based company, had shifted to Delhi temporarily in September last year as he was unable to work due to the internet shutdown in Kashmir. Ms. Beigh, who has a bachelors in IT and masters in business administration, is in custody along with her husband.
They were in Tihar jail under judicial custody but on 28 May the NIA had got the custody to question her, Sehrish Sami, her sister-in-law told The Kashmir Walla over the phone. “She [Ms. Beigh] was in Tihar until ten days ago,” Ms. Sami said.
“She was under NIA custody now and was supposed to be sent back to Tihar jail. Before that, she was tested positive for COVID-19.”
As per reports, the NIA informed the duty magistrate at Patiala House on Sunday that Ms. Beigh has been found “positive” for coronavirus.
“I urged the court that Beigh should be immediately referred to a hospital and permission be granted for her to talk to me regularly, which was not allowed earlier,” Beigh’s lawyer M S Khan was quoted saying.
The court has referred her to Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital for treatment.
The family was informed about this by their lawyer in Delhi. “I had spoken to her just once for a few minutes while she was in NIA custody. Since then we have no idea what is happening. The lawyer informed us that she will be hospitalized now as she has tested positive.”
Ms. Beigh had moved to Delhi on 26 October, after getting married on 6 October 6, and the couple was living in a rented flat in Delhi’s Okhla area. The family has rubbished all charges against the couple.
KW
