Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 25: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Budgam today rejected the bail application of hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Masrat Alam Bhat who was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) two days ago.
Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamlesh Pandita, while rejecting the bail said that the case is in preliminary stage and the investigation is not complete yet and offence is of serious nature so the bail cannot be granted at this stage.
Masrat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Ayaz Akbar, Mehraj-ud-Din Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad alias Peer Saifullah, Zahoor Ahmad Kanna and Javid Ahmad Najar have been booked under Sections 121-A (waging war against the country), 124 (Sedition), 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 147 (rioting) of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and other minor offences.
Masrat was arrested on April 17 after he shouted pro-Pakistan slogans, anti-national slogans and hoisting Pakistani flag in a rally organized to welcome Geelani on April 15 at Hyderpora. He had moved his bail application in the CJM court Budgam soon after his arrest.
However, Masrat was booked under PSA two days ago and is lodged in Kot Bhalwal Jail of Jammu.
Police had registered a case against Bhat, Geelani and several other separatist leaders for provocative activities including hoisting of Pakistani flag. However, only Masrat was arrested.
“During investigation, the video footage of the incident was examined and it was found that the said individual (Masrat) was involved in leading the crowd to raise anti-national slogans and hoist Pakistan flags. He himself was found raising such slogans and thereby instigating the crowd to follow him,” police said here after Masrat’s arrest.
Meanwhile, Kashmir valley today observed a shutdown against the arrest and booking of Masrat Alam Bhat, under PSA during which protesters clashed with police at several places.
Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had called for strike against Masrat’s arrest and his booking under PSA and it was supported by various separatist and militant groups.
The shops, commercial establishments, schools, and colleges in Civil Lines and Old City areas were mostly closed in response to the strike call. The public transport was off in Srinagar while private transport was plying. The attendance in Government offices and banks was less.
Police and CRPF were heavily deployed in parts of Srinagar including Saraf Kadal, Kawdara, Maisuma, Koker Bazar and Budshah Chowk to prevent any protests in these sensitive areas.
Groups of few youth protested in Habba Kadal, Kawdara and Saraf Kadal areas of Srinagar and pelted stones on Police and CRPF triggering clashes. The clashes continued for several hours but no one was injured in these clashes.
At Palhallan, in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, protesters pelted stones on Police and CRPF leading to intermittent clashes.
In HMT area of Srinagar, police this evening lobbed tear gas shells after a group of youth pelted stones at police and CRPF.
At Qaimoh in Kulgam, a group of youth pelted stones at Police Station triggering clashes. However, police chased these protesters.
Reports of strike were also received from South Kashmir districts including Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama and North Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora and Central Kashmir’s Budgam and Ganderbal districts.
The spokesman of Muslim League (ML), Rafiq Ganai, said the police so far arrested 14 activists of Masrat’s party. The arrested persons include Javaid Ahmad Najar, Suhail Ahmad Kaloo, Mehraj-ud-Din Bangroo, Tahir-ul-Islam, Mohammad Ismail Mir and Mohammad Muzaffar Jan. He said that police raided the residences of Hakeem Showkat, Zahoor Ahmad Kanna, Assadullah Parray, Mufti Nadeem and Mehraj-ud-Din Nanda after Masrat’s arrest.
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