Govt hellbent to ruin careers of students: Mirwaiz, ‘demands release of journalism student booked under PSA’

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday demanded the release of a journalism student who has been booked under draconian Public Safety Act.

Adil Farooq, pursuing MA in Journalism from Central University of Kashmir was booked under the Public Safety Act for allegedly working as ‘overground worker of militants’, a charge refuted by his family.

Mirwaiz condemned Farooq’s arrest and said that he has been falsely booked under Public Safety Act and shifted to Kot Balwal Jail in Jammu.

The Kashmir’s chief cleric said that the govt is hellbent upon ruining the careers of students and youth by implicating them in fake cases.

Mirwaiz tweeted: Strongly condemn the arrest of Adil Farooq, a journalism student at Central University of Kashmir who been falsely booked under Public Safety Act(PSA)and shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. It seems the govt is hellbent upon ruining the careers of students and youth by implicating them in fake cases,we demand his immediate release. (SIC).”

Reports said that the 24-year-old third-semester Aadil Farooq Bhat son of Farooq Ahmad Bhat of Bhat Mohalla, Khrew, in police district Awantipora, was arrested last month when he went to police station Pampore for questioning.

Farooq’s PSA dossier, signed on 1 February 2019, states: “You met with various militants in whose influence you developed a militant ideology. As a result, you established a link with the Hurriyat leader Bilal Gani Lone under whose instructions you remained pro-active in instigating the same ideology amongst the people and youth of the area. You have also liaison with one militant namely Mohammad Ayoub Lone alias pilot of banned militant organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and his other militant associates for whom you are working as over ground worker as being a local you know topography of the area which leads to safe transportation of illegal arms and ammunition through unconventional routes and away from the security forces.”

The dossier accuses Aadil and his associates of hatching a “criminal conspiracy” to undertake militant activity in the area of Khrew.

“Besides, you were providing them all possible help including food, shelter, logistics and transportation from one place to another regarding which case vide FIR number 20/2017 under sections 18,19,20,39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act stands registered in police station Pampore.”

“You could not mend your ways and instead chose to continue the subversive activities. Remaining your (sic) at large would pose threat to the security of the state particularly at the time when the atmosphere is already surcharged,” it reads.

The dossier adds: “The activities as projected in the dossier run heavily against you and are highly prejudicial to the security of the state. Being highly motivated to carry on the illegal designs you are not likely to desist from anti-national and anti-social activities. You are directly involved in the above-mentioned cases and the normal laws are not sufficient to deter you from anti-national activities.”

“Therefore, in order to prevent you from indulging in these activities, which are prejudicial to the security of the state, it is necessary to detain you by invoking the provisions of J&K Public Safety Act, 1978,” reads the dossier.