Five Kashmir politicians released from detention

The release of the second-rung leaders came after a recent security review meeting in New Delhi which was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Besides searching the premises of Mudgal, a 2007-batch IAS officer, and Ranjan, a 2010-batch IAS officer, the houses of Itrat Hussain, Mohammed Saleem, Mohammed Junaid Khan, F C Bhagat, Farooq Ahmed Khan and Jenhagir Ahmed Mir were searched, the officials said.

On December 26, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had told reporters in Srinagar that the release of political leaders was an “ongoing process”.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday released five politicians in the Valley who had been in detention since August 5, when it was decided to revoke special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two Union territories.

Former PDP MLA Zahoor Mir, Bashir Mir of PDP, Dr Ghulam Nabi of National Conference, former MLA and NC leader Ishfaq Jabbar, and former legislator Yasir Reshi were released late afternoon from Srinagar’s MLA Hostel, where more than two dozen mainstream leaders are still under detention.

The release of the second-rung leaders came after a recent security review meeting in New Delhi which was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Subsequently, the J&K DGP after arriving in Srinagar conducted a meeting at Srinagar’s Police Control Room.

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On December 26, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had told reporters in Srinagar that the release of political leaders was an “ongoing process”.

Sources told The Indian Express on Monday that 25 leaders are presently detained at the MLA Hostel. “This (release of leaders) is a continuous process and decision on releasing more leaders will be taken in times to come,” a senior administration official said, adding that those released on Monday “signed bonds under CrPC”.

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