Over 2,100 rounded up across Valley

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 20

In the ongoing crackdown following the scrapping of Article 370, the authorities in Kashmir have detained over 2,100 persons from different parts of the valley, out of which nearly 150 have been booked under the Public Safety Act, a top security official said.

Those arrested in the massive clampdown that started on the night of August 4, hours before the scarping of the special status of J&K, included two former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, besides former ministers and legislators.

The officials said the detentions had been made to check the possible unrest following the scrapping of the special position on August 5.

“Over 2,100 persons have been detained which include political leaders from both mainstream and separatist groups, political workers and trouble-makers, including stone pelters,” said a senior security official privy to the detention figures across the valley. “The arrests are still taking place.”

The officer, who did not want to get named, said nearly 150 among them have been arrested under the PSA, which allows detention without any trial from six months to two years.

“Most of those booked under the PSA have been shifted outside jails,” he said.

While the J&K Government is tightlipped over the total number of arrests, sources indicate the figure of total arrests and detention could be higher, as in many cases where youth have been detained at various police stations or security forces camps across Kashmir are still not accounted in the final centralised figures.

The arrests have been made from all districts of the valley and the highest number of arrests has been made in Srinagar district followed by Baramulla, he added.

The massive clampdown has been one of the major reasons along with the imposition of strict restriction and total communications blackout to keep the situation under control.