Geelani, 15 others taken into preventive custody

Srinagar, Jul 31: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and 15 others were taken into preventive custody by police in Srinagar today.

Police took Mr Geelani and three others into preventive custody when they tried to move out of their Rajbagh headquarter this afternoon.

Earlier, he was put under house arrest in his office of Rajbagh alongwith alognwith other Hurriyat Conference (HC) leaders where they had assembled to attend a meeting of Majlis Shoura, the highest decision making body of the amalgam.

A spokesman of the HC Aiyaz Akbar told sources that Mr Geelani was put in a waiting police jeep and taken to police station in Rajbagh.

He said two other leaders of the HC were also detained by the police.

Mr Akbar said 12 other leaders of the HC led by Ghulam Nabi Sumji were taken into custody at Abi Guzar near here when they were on their way to Lal Chowk to protest against the Iseali attack on Lebanon in which a large number of people, including women and children were killed.

He said Mr Geelani was also scheduled to join the protest demonstration at Lal Chowk where authorities have imposed section 144 in view of the assembly session.

Official sources had earlier police personnel have been deployed around the HC headquarter where Mr Geelani and other leaders were present.

They said nobody was being allowed to move out from the office.

The HC spokesman said that Mr Geelani has called a meeting of Majlis Shoura, the higest decision making body of the amalgam, today to discuss the various issues, including Human Rights violations by the Indian security forces and Isreali attack on Lebanon and Palestian.

He said as Mr Geelani entered the house at 1205 hours this afternoon, police cordoned off the entire area.

He said, ''we were directed to remain indoor by the Station House Officer of the police station Rajbagh.'' He said no reason was given for putting him under office arrest.

Rajbagh police station is not among the five police station where the District Magistrate imposed section 144 on Saturday in view of the assembly session.

UNI

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