SRINAGAR: Kashmir Police have arrested 10 people for alleged hooliganism and stone-pelting during a protest outside the residence of separatist leader Yasin Malik who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a terror funding case on Wednesday.
Clashes erupted between Malik’s supporters and security forces in Maisuma area of Srinagar city soon after special NIA court in Delhi awarded life sentence to the former Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief in a 2017 terror funding case.
Malik’s supporters gathered near his residence, took out a march in the area and tried to move towards Maisuma Chowk when security forces blocked their way, resulting in clashes with security forces. They raised slogans demanding the release of the separatist leader.
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Several parts of the city had also observed a shutdown against the verdict. Some of the protesters pelted stones at the security personnel who had to resort to fire tear shells to disperse the crowd.
However, there were no casualties, officials said.
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Acting swiftly against the perpetrators, the police registered an FIR under section 13 (punishment) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 149, 336 of IPC read with section 34 of the IPC at Maisuma police station.
The police also launched midnight raids at many places leading to the arrests including of the main accused, the police said, adding that some more accused were being identified and would be arrested soon.
Main instigators of the rioting will also be booked under Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act and will be lodged in jails outside J&K, the officials said.
“It is strongly reiterated that no attempt at creating/reviving law and order situations in Srinagar will be tolerated at all,” the police said.
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“Further, all mischievous attempts of provoking law and order situations by vested interests will also be dealt with full force of law.”
Malik faced charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition). On May 10, he pleaded guilty to all charges. He told the court he would not challenge any of the charges.
The case against Yasin Malik pertained to the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and other separatist leaders’ conspiracy to raise, receive and collect funds domestically and from abroad for the separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said its probe into the case established Malik was involved in terror activities and issued calls for protests, roadblocks, and other disruptive activities to push the society into chaos and lawlessness. In 2017, NIA registered the case and has since filed a charge sheet against over a dozen people.