4 senior associates of Geelani booked under PSA in Kashmir

Srinagar, Apr 28 (UNI) Four senior leaders of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) detained under the unlawful activities Act on April were today booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) while 13 others were sent to central jail on judicial remand till Monday.

As the bail applications of six associates of Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani came up for hearing in the court of Ist Munsif R K Dubay here today, the public prosecutor informed that four of them-- acting chairman Ghulam Nabi sumbji, Muslim league chairman Masarat Alam, Democratic Political Movement president Firdous Ahmad Shah and Mohammad Shafi Lone-- have been booked under PSA for their alleged anti-national activities.

Under the act they will have to under go minimum two-year imprisonment.

The judge also refused bail to two others-- Mohammad Yaseen Attaie and Meraj-ud-din Kalwal-- and said he will hear the application on May 1. He later directed the police to present them in the court on Monday.

On this the defence lawyers, including president of the Kashmir Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoum insisted that the bail should be granted them today.

Police arrested the HC leaders on April 26 minutes before they were to address a news conference here under sections 13 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act.

Police said a First Information Report (FIR) number 70/2007 had been lodged in the Safa Kadal police station on April 22 against Mr Geelani and others when a section of media reported that militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizbul Mujahideen were present in the rally organised to accord welcome to Mr Geelani on his return from New Delhi where he was recuperating following his kidney surgery at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai on March 26.

It was alleged that the flags of the two militant outfits were also raised at the rally.

However, both police and the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference denied the charges.

However, police had lodged the FIR against Mr Geelani and others under section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Act for raising anti- India slogans and launched investigations into the entire episode.

A local court here also sent to judicial remand eleven Hurriyat leaders who were arrested yesterday at Hyderpora when they were protesting against the alleged demolition of a mosque at Hari Parbat, also known as Kohi-e-Maran hills here.

The court directed the police to present them in the court on Monday for hearing their bail applications.

They were later taken to central jail.

UNI