Apprehensive about protests that Kashmir might witness on the first death anniversary of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani, the Jammu and Kashmir police has decided to extend detention of three separatist leaders currently in preventive custody.
The development comes days after United Jehad Council (UJC), an amalgam of militant organisations in Kashmir, called for a week-long agitation to mark Wani’s death. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin had announced that ‘Hafta-e-Shuhuda (martyrs’ week) would be observed beginning July 7 on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).
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The decision to extend the preventive custody was communicated to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which had sought information on when the police was planning to release the three from their custody. The three were taken into preventive custody by local police last week right before they were to be questioned by NIA in connection to their probe.
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Sources in NIA said that investigators wanted to question Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, Ajaz Akbar, spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and Mehrajudin Kalwal the district president of the same group.
Official sources told Hindustan Times that local police told NIA that the three detainees will be released depending upon the situation in Kashmir. “ Local police wants to ride out the week.There is anticipation that the week might see some unrest in the valley,” official sources said.
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NIA in June filed an FIR against Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud Dawah, Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT),Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and separatist organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces during the six-month long protests that followed after Wani was killed in a gunfight with security forces on July 8. The NIA is now probing whether separatist groups received funds from Pakistan to back street protests in the valley.
Official sources also said that an uncle of Molvi Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of Awami Action Committee, one of the two key factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has been summoned in connection to the same probe.
Source: HindustanTimes