Nearly 800 Persons Arrested Last Year; Srinagar Tops List

Srinagar: The government revealed on Friday that it has arrested 799 people across Kashmir between January 2015 and January 2016 and all but one have been set free. Srinagar topped the list with 337 arrests and Shopian played second fiddle with 122 arrests.
Jammu, the winter capital of the state, ranked top in reverse where only one person was arrested in the same period. Those arrested included 15 from Budgam, 22 from Ganderbal, 70 from Baramulla, 34 from Kupwara, 10 from Bandipora, 86 from Islamabad, 89 from Pulwama, and 13 from Kulgam. The only person who has not been released has been arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA).
In a different question that former minister Akbar Lone raised, the government said that it has arrested 133 persons in J&K under provisions of PSA and other acts in 2015. Of these, 80 have been released or deported and 53 are still in custody. Only three of them are in custody outside state jails.
J&K is running a network of 14 jails across the state which has a cumulative capacity to hold 5600 persons. State spent Rs 18.34 crore on the prisoners it held in its jails in last fiscal.
Besides, the government also revealed that in one year it has announced four magisterial enquiries in different militancy related incidents. In 2015, there were 146 militancy related incidents in which 22 civilians, 39 security men and 108 militants were killed.
On the LoC and IB where the local population is usually caught in crossfire between the rival armies, government said 181 firing incidents took place in one year which led to 14 civilian deaths, 8 killings of security men. As many as 62 civilians and 13 security men were injured in these border firing incidents.

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