Aquib Gulzar, 20, was arrested, booked under PSA for following the footsteps of his father
Srinagar: Aaqib Gulzar, 20, in South Kashmir was arrested, and then booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) for ‘following footsteps of his father,” who is a Jamaat-e-Islami activist.
Interestingly, father of the 20 year old, was evading arrest after Government of India (GOI) declared ban on the politico-socio-religious organization, Jamaat-e-Islami
So far 400 members of the Jamaat have been arrested including its senior leaders from across Kashmir.
According to the family members, last month, Aaqib, a second-year student studying arts was arrested by the police from his house at located at Uranhall village of Bijbehara after they couldn’t locate his father- Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Ameer-i-Tehsil, Jamat for Anantnag.
Aquib’s mother, Rafiq Akhtar said that that police raided their house on February, 24.
“They were looking for my husband. As we were not aware of his whereabouts, they instead picked up my only son,” alleged Akhtar.
She said her son was taken to the local police station and later shifted to district jail Mattan Anantnag.
“Last week he was booked under PSA and a shifted to Kathua jail in Jammu,” Akhter said.
The government booked him under PSA after charging him of being a threat to the maintenance of public order
The PSA, which has been termed as lawless law by human rights watchdog amnesty international allows the police to detain a person without a trial for six months.
The police dossier of Aqib accuses him of being a chronic stone pelter and a member of Jamiat-I-Tulba, the student wing of Jamat.
“Whereas you are a chronic stone pelter, having secessionist tendencies from an early age. You are following the footsteps of your father, who is Tehsil President Jamat. You yourself are a member of the youth wing of Jamiat E Tulba, a student wing of Jamat and your activities are highly prejudicial to the peace and public order,” the dossier reads..
The dossier also accuses Aaqib of instigating the people to resort to violence.
“In the year, in the backdrop of braid chopping incidents 2017 you lead the mob armed with sticks which resorted to violence by at Uranhall along the national highway. The police tried to pacify the agitating mob, however, they didn’t pay heed and continued with sloganeering against state and Union of India” it further reads.
In this regard, it says that a case FIR no 172/2017 stands registered against the accused in Police station Bijbehara.
“ On May 2018 you (Aqib) along with other miscreants with an intention to enforce shutdown call given by Hurriyat against the killing of militant commander Saddam Paddar mobilized local youth who then resorted to violence by pelting stones on the CRPF men deployed on law and order duty at National highway near Uranhall,” the dossier claims.
“Your activities are highly prejudicial to maintenance of public order and hence need to be booked under PSA,” it concludes.
The family, however, contested the charges saying he was only booked because his father is affiliated to Jamat.
“Yes he might have participated in protests on certain occasions but never ever has he resorted to violence. They only arrested and booked him because they could not locate my husband..,” said Akhtar, who is the mother of two daughters.
She is now worried about the safety of his son and that anxiety has grown following the custodial death of Rizwan Asad Pandit of Awantipora.
“Ever since he was shifted to Kathua, I have not slept at all, And after that custodial death incident, my fears are growing,” says the worried mother.
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