Hyper security stills Kashmir

SRINAGAR: On the eve of Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, police, paramilitary forces and army intensified security and searches across the region on Thursday. Sharpshooters have been deployed atop tall buildings at sensitive locations in Uri and Srinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. He would inaugurate 25 Kilometer long stretch of the railways from Katra town to Udhampur and also inaugurate the 240 megawatt Hydro-electric power project in the border town of Uri and return to New Delhi the same day, reports said. On his maiden visit to the state as Prime Minister, Modi would also review security at the borders with Pakistan and China and also in the hinterlands at a high level meeting in Srinagar.

Witnesses and sources said that government intensified frisking across the Kashmir valley. The police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force  have erected barricades across the Srinagar city and are maintaining a close vigil on the movement of suspected persons.

They said forces conducted frisking of private, public and pedestrians in the city centre throughout the day while extra-forces personal were also deployed.

In north Kashmir, huge contingents of police, paramilitary CRPF and army personnel were deployed, witnesses said . The forces are maintaining extra-vigil on Srinagar-Baramulla-Muzaffarabad Highway. Reports said sharpshooters have been deployed atop tall buildings at various places as security agencies don’t want to take any risk.

Almost all the pro-freedom leaders have called for a shutdown on the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the state. Meanwhile, reports said Police has detained many ‘suspects’ in different areas and have lodged them in different police stations. 

Family members of detained ‘suspects’ told agency reporters that their relatives have been arrested without any reason and justification.

“My father is 61 years old who was picked up by a party from police station Soura. He is a retired government employee and has nothing to do with militancy. Police told us that it is a preventive detention and once Modi will conclude his visit, he will be released,” the son of detained suspect Shiekh Muhammad Ashraf a resident of Hamzah Colony Ahmed Nagar said.

Police has also arrested a plumber Mehrajudin Najar from Bachpora area. One of his relative said that Mehraj was detained during wee hours  from his residence. Sources said that a police party from Soura Police Station also arrested a youth namely Waheed Ahmed Bhat who works as a sale man.

The family members of the suspected trio said that Ashraf, Waheed and Mehraj-u-Din had been put behind the bar for six consecutive days when Centarl Kashmir was going for polls on April 30.

A police official said the trio will be released soon after Prime Minister leaves the State. “The trio detained by us was allegedly involved in providing shelter and food to an LeT militant Abu Hurrairah who escaped during Ahmed Nagar encounter,” the officer was quoted as said.

Authorities on Thursday placed some senior separatist leaders under house arrest in view of security measures being tightened ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kashmir.

Those who have been confined to their residences include Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, Hurriyat M leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Hurriyat Conference G leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, Hurriyat G leader Ayaz Akbar and Hurriyat G leader Altaf Shah. Pertinently, Syed Ali Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference G is already under house detention for the last over two months.  The DGP K Rajindera Kumar said  the decision had been taken by the local administration after assessment of the situation. “These decisions are taken by the local administration after thorough assessment of the situation on ground,” he added.

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