The family members of former J&K chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were allowed to meet the two detained leaders “twice” recently, government sources have told The Indian Express. “They were allowed to meet after the family members approached the administration for permission. The families met them twice recently. They can meet the detainees twice a week,” a senior official said. Abdullah, who is vice-president of National Conference (NC), and Mehbooba, who heads the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have been under detention since August 5, when the central government removed J&K’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated the state of into two UTs. The NC leader is lodged at Hari Niwas, and the PDP chief at Chesmashahi hut, both of which have been declared as sub-jails in Srinagar. According to the official, relatives and friends are meeting dozens of mainstream political leaders lodged at Centaur Hotel on the bank of the Dal lake. “The families are submitting applications and are being allowed to meet the families inside the hotel,” he said. The hotel too, has been declared a subsidiary jail.
