Masarat Alam’s police custody ends today

The period of police custody of hardline separatist Masarat Alam, booked by the Jammu and Kashmir government under the Public Safety Act (PSA), ends on Saturday.

Alam had been remanded into police custody by the CJM for seven days.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had on Thursday booked Alam under the PSA and shifted him to a jail outside the Valley.

Sources in the police told a news agency that Masarat Alam is being lodged in Kotbalwal jail in Jammu region.

Masarat Alam was released on March 7 by the PDP-BJP coalition government, triggering a huge controversy over the separatist’s release who had been arrested during the 2010 summer unrest in the Valley.

The Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led coalition government had said that Alam’s period of detention under the PSA had already expired and there had been no fresh grounds for his detention.

As many as 110 people died in violent clashes between the security forces and unruly protesters during 2010 summer unrest.

Officials believed Alam had been the mastermind behind 2010 agitation. He was arrested after announcing a reward of Rs 1 million to anybody divulging information about his whereabouts.

On April 15, youth displayed Pakistan flags and shouted Pro-Pakistan slogans in a separatist rally led Masarat Alam in Srinagar city to welcome Syed Ali Geelani.

Police arrested Alam on April 17 for sedition and waging war against the state.

(With IANS inputs)