Authorities on Thursday booked a prominent cleric and vice-president of Jamiat Ahle-Hadith under the ‘draconian’ Public Safety Act’ and shifted him to Jammu.
The arrest come a day after authorities booked several Jama’at activists under the ‘lawless law’ PSA in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district and shifted them to Jammu jails.
Officials said prominent cleric and deputy of Jamiat Ahlihadith Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri was booked under Public Safety Act on Thursday.
A resident of Veeri village of south Kashmir’s Bijbehara, Mushtaq was arrested during a crackdown launched by the police against the religious and political leaders from his home on February 22 and lodged in Bijbehera police station.
He was later shifted to district jail Mattan in Anantnag district. However, an official said that the authorities booked him under PSA on Thursday and shifted him to Kotbalwal jail in Jammu.
Meanwhile, authorities continued the crackdown with dozens of separatists and Jamaat activists, arrested last month during a crackdown that preceded the ban of the socio-religious organization, booked under PSA.
Sources said the Jammt activists detained under PSA include block president Sangam Muhammad Shaban Dar, of Marhama village of Sangam, former Qaim-e-Zillah JeI, Anantnag, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, of Tangpawa Kokernag and Ameer Halqa Soaf Shali Kokernag Nowshad Ahmad were shifted to Kathua Jail Jammu.
Officials said 19-year-old Aqib Gulzar, son of Ameer tehsil Anantnag Gulzar Ahmad has also been booked under PSA and shifted to Hiranagar jail. His father, Gulzar Ahmad (48) from Uranhall village of Anantnag has been evading arrest.
The arrests come after the home ministry banned Jamaat as part of the larger crackdown on separatism in the aftermath of the February 14 suicide bombing and the subsequent dogfights between the airforce of the two countries.