Jail without bail and trial for Syed Geelani

The Omar Abdullah government has finally cracked the whip on Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani by booking him under the Public Safety Act (PSA), which entails a maximum two-year jail term without bail or trial.

Geelani was arrested on June 6 for fomenting trouble in Kashmir over the Shopian rape and murder. The courts released him thrice, but he was rearrested on all occasions in different cases.

“His case will be put before the state advisory committee, which will refer it to the home department, which will determine the tenure of his detention. The maximum term under PSA is two years,” Srinagar district magistrate Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said.

He said the Hurriyat leader would be detained in a hut at Cheshma-Shahi, which has been declared a sub-jail. “He will complete his jail term in the hut because he is not keeping well. Plus, the hut is close to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, which is treating him,” he said.

Geelani, 79, has a history of kidney cancer. After his arrest last month, he developed complications in the sub-jail, prompting authorities to shift him to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.

The government move evoked a sharp reaction from the Hurriyat. “It is witch hunt,” spokesperson Ayaz Akbar said.