J-K admn releases 3 politicians from detention

rchopra@tribunemail.com

Srinagar, October 10

The Jammu and Kashmir Administration on Thursday released three politicians who had been under detention since August 5 when the Centre abrogated the special status granted to the state under the Constitution, officials said.

Yawar Mir, Noor Mohammed and Shoiab Lone were released on separate grounds, the officials said.

While Mir is a former PDA MLA from the Rafiabad Assembly seat, Lone contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket from North Kashmir and later resigned as district president of the party.

Noor Mohammed is a National Conference worker who has been managing the party’s show in the militancy-infested Batmaloo area of the Srinagar city.

Before his release, he will be signing a bond to maintain peace and good behaviour, the officials had said on Wednesday night.

The Governor Administration had earlier released Imran Ansari of the People’s Conference and Syed Akhoon on health grounds on September 21.

More than a thousand people, including politicians, separatists, activists and lawyers, were detained after the August 5 move of the Central Government to abrogate the state’s special status.

The detainees include three former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

Over 250 people were sent to the jails outside Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq was subsequently detained under the stringent Public Safety Act, while other politicians were mostly detained under different sections of the criminal procedure code. PTI