A month after Jammu and Kashmir was placed under severe restrictions following the revocation of its special status under Article 370, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said on Wednesday that no decision has been taken to release political leaders once they furnished a bond.
Speaking to The Hindu on the phone from Srinagar Mr. Singh said the police had arrested a couple of “rumour mongers” for spreading misinformation through “posters and word of mouth.”
When asked how misinformation was being spread in absence of mobile or Internet connectivity and severe restrictions on movement, Mr. Singh said, “They do this through posters and word of mouth, they are going from one mohalla (neighbourhood) to another and spreading the story....police is taking the help of CCTV cameras installed at many locations and highways to identify the suspects.”
Relatives and family members of several detained political leaders in Kashmir Valley have claimed that authorities have been asking them to sign personal bonds if they wanted to be released.
Shah Faesal case
The J&K police in an affidavit filed in Delhi High Court in Shah Faesal's case said the former IAS officer was detained on the orders of Executive Magistrate under Section 107 of the CrPC after he refused to furnish the “security/bond of ₹50,000 to keep the peace.”
The Centaur hotel in Srinagar has been turned into a subsidiary jail where many political leaders are detained.
"I don't think any such decision has been taken as of now," Mr. Singh said when asked how many politicians had been released in the past one month after they furnished bonds.
Mr. Faesal, President of J&K Peoples Movement, was stopped at Delhi airport on August 14 and prevented from flying to Boston. He was then flown back to Srinagar, where he has been detained at the Centaur hotel since then.
Mr. Singh said militants were threatening people and stopping them from opening shops.
“There is no civil curfew, some Pakistan sponsored elements are trying to scare people but we are taking action against them,” Mr Singh said. In the beginning the militants threatened petrol pump operators....then they started harassing people in the orchards. People have resisted and retaliated these attempts.... this happened in South Kashmir — the fruit growers asked the militants will they give them food if they sit at home?” Mr. Singh said.
He added the situation in Kashmir Valley has gradually progressed towards peace. “Barring one or two law and order incidents initially where bigger violence was involved, such incidents on a small scale are taking place on a daily basis with no serious violent element anywhere,” Mr. Singh admitted.
He added that it was upto the people to open their shops and the authorities could not force anyone.
“The militants killed one shopkeeper on the plea that he had opened his shop ....how can you stop them from doing their work? That kind of dictates are coming in the form of posters from militants, they are going on harassing and threatening people; we are tying to counter their threats, therefore, we are not trying to put any pressure on the people unnecessarily,” Mr. Singh added.
Mr. Singh said one militant was arrested in Baramulla and a couple of overground workers were arrested for harassing people. “Action will continue against the militants....we have chased and pushed them out, we are trying to keep them at bay,” he added.
