Activist in custody for being ‘threat to peace'

Ganderbal, June 15

A political activist has been detained after he said to an adviser of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha that he had hopes from a Kashmiri official like him rather than bureaucrats from outside. The remarks reportedly offended the Ganderbal Deputy Commissioner, an IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh.

After being arrested under Section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups) of the IPC, Sajad Sofi (50), a resident of Wani Mohalla in Safapora, was granted bail by a court. However, he was kept under preventive detention for allegedly being a threat to peace.

The National Conference as well as the CPM condemned the action and demanded immediate release of the arrested politician.

Sofi made the remarks at a Janta Darbar of L-G’s adviser Baseer Khan at Mansbal on June 10. Speaking about the problems faced by the people of his area, Sofi informed Khan that the latter could understand the issues better as compared to officers from outside the UT because he was a local, according to the police report.

This comment did not go down well with Ganderbal DC Krittika Jyotsna, who stood up from her seat and strongly objected, according to a police report. Sofi was booked on the same night.

Sofi got bail from a local court here on Saturday that stated, “bail is a rule and its rejection is an exception”. Even after this, the police did not release Sofi and instead booked him under Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code under which a person can be kept under preventive custody for being a threat to peace. “Sofi is under preventive custody under Sections 107 and 151 of the IPC,” Ganderbal SSP Suhail Munawar said.

He said there were apprehensions of “breach of peace, so he (Sofi) was taken into custody”. The SSP, however, said the small-time political worker had no previous criminal record. — PTI

Rights Violated: CPM

CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the arrest of Sajad Rashid Sofi was unwarranted and brazen violation of fundamental rights. He sought the activist’s release and action against the DC.

Unacceptable: NC

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the arrest was the result of “unbridled” bureaucratic powers. “It’s unacceptable that a person is jailed for expressing a totally harmless opinion,” he said.