Police arrest 28 JKLF men, lab teargas shells in Srinagar

Srinagar, Feb 11 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir police today arrested about 28 Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) supporters, including its vice-chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat, for defying prohibitory orders.

The police burst teargas shells and resorted to baton-charge to disperse the demonstrators in the civil lines.

The JKLF supporters, led by Mr Bashir took to streets at Maisuma near here to mark the 23rd death anniversary of its founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in the Delhi Tihar jail in 1984. His body was later buried in the jail compound.

As the supporters were marching towards the United Nations Military Observers (UNMO) office at Sonawar, the police stopped them.

However, the police took the supporters into custody when they refused to disperse and insisted they be allowed to present a memorandum to the UNMO.

A JKLF spokesman told UNI that a senior leader Ghulam Rasool Dar Edi suffered injuries in the police lathicharge.

Besides Bhat and Edi, Noor Mohammad Kalwal and Taihar Ahmad Mir were among the dozen people arrested.

Later, the JKLF supporters again gathered at Maisuma and started raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. However, when they tried to pelt stones on passing vehicles near Budshah chowk, police fired teargas shells after repeated lathicharge.

The JKLF(Nanaji) group also took out a procession at the historic Lal Chowk. But the police stopped them at Moulana Azad road when they were proceeding towards Dalgate.

The police took about 18 JKLF leaders into custody including its convenor Javid Ahmad Mir and lodged them in Kothibagh police station.

The leaders were demanding the remains of Maqbool Bhat, buried in Tihar Jail, be brought to Srinagar.

Similar demand were made by JKLF( Yaseen), Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah and other separatist organisations.

Recently, a case was filed in a local court here alleging that a building was made on the grave of Bhat in the Tihar jail.

The court has directed the jail authorities to file a report about the grave of Bhat.

Reports of demonstrations were also received from the down town and other civil line areas.

A report from Baramulla said that a prayer meeting was held at Trehgam, the home village of Maqbool Bhat. A large number of people from different parts of the north Kashmir, besides separatist leaders, including Shabir Ahmad Shah visited the village to join the prayers.

UNI