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Days after arrest, NIA raids residence of separatist Yasin Malik in Srinagar

In a major crackdown on separatists, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Chief Yasin Malik was arrested from his residence in Srinagar in a late night raid on Friday.

SNS | New Delhi | February 26, 2019 10:18 am

Days after arrest, NIA raids residence of separatist Yasin Malik in Srinagar

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik leads a protest march to Lal Chowk in Srinagar. (File Photo: IANS)

National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers on Tuesday raided the Srinagar residence of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik.

The counter-terrorism agency men along with the state police and others cordoned off Malik’s residence at around 7.30 am, a JKLF source said.

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“This raid was carried out while the JKLF chief was still lodged in Kothibagh police station,” he added.

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NIA confirmation as to what prompted the raid was awaited.

In a major crackdown on separatists, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Chief Yasin Malik was arrested from his residence in Srinagar in a late night raid on Friday.

Malik was arrested from his Maisuma residence and has been taken to the Kothibagh Police Station.

Several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were also arrested in the raid, including its chief, (Ameer-e-Jamaat) Abdul Hamid Fayaz, a Jamaat spokesman said.

The nocturnal raids were conducted in the south, central and north Kashmir districts to mop up the senior-most members of the political group.

Following this, the Centre deployed a hundred additional companies of paramilitary forces to the state on an urgent basis.

After notice from the Home Ministry late on Friday night, 100 additional companies of paramilitary soldiers were airlifted to Srinagar to support the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the existing security forces in handling the situation.

In a major step taken in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, the Centre on February 17 withdrew the security cover of five top separatists – Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah.

Soon after, on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir government downgraded and withdrew the security of 18 separatists which also included Hurriyat leaders include Syed Alishah Geelani and Yasin Malik who were left out when security cover of five separatists was withdrawn earlier the week.

There has been a state of emergency in the Valley after the Pulwama terror attack in which over 44 CRPF personnel were killed and many injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu-Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus in Pulwama district.

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The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.