Srinagar: Authorities on Wednesday placed under house arrest top separatist leaders, including chairman of hardline Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who had called for a march to UN Military Observers Group office here to lodge protest against killing of five youths in Shopian.
The other separatist leaders placed under house arrest included chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and Nayeem Ahmad Khan, police sources said.
Large number of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed outside Geelani’s Hyderpora residence to prevent supporters of the Hurriyat Hawk from assembling there, the sources said.
Geelani had asked his supporters to assemble at his residence and later march towards the UN office at Sonawar for submitting a memorandum addressed to Secretary General of the world body Ban Ki-moon about the alleged human rights violations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, including the recent Shopian killings.
The roads leading to the UN office have also been sealed and traffic diverted through other routes.
Geelani on Monday issued a calendar for agitation for this week which include Wednesday’s march. He has called for protests after Friday congregational prayers and a general strike on Saturday.
Meanwhile, police detained Geelani and two of his associates as they tried to break the restrictions placed on the movement of the senior separatist leader, police sources said.
They said the trio were taken away and lodged at Humhama Police station.
Police had to use batons and tear smoke shells to disperse a crowd which had assembled at Hyderpora chowk near Geelani’s residence, the sources said.
No one was hurt in incident, they said. (PTI)
