Participants of a protest rally called by the mirwaiz at Lal Chowk yesterday had torched three government offices, including the crime branch and power development department headquarters.
The Jammu and Kashmir police today registered three cases against Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat's moderate faction, and other separatist leaders for allegedly inciting yesterday's violence during which government properties were torched by mobs.
An FIR was registered against the mirwaiz at the Shaheedgunj police station in Srinagar city under various sections of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), including for criminal conspiracy (120-B), waging war against the state (121) and wantonly giving provocation to cause riots (153), the sources said.
Participants of a protest rally called by the mirwaiz at Lal Chowk yesterday had torched three government offices, including the crime branch and power development department headquarters.
Another case has been registered against the moderate Hurriyat chairman and four others at Safakadal police station in the old city.
Senior hardline Hurriyat leader Nissar Hussain Rather has also been booked for making a provocative speech at clock tower in Lal Chowk area yesterday. The case was registered at a police station in Maisuma.
However, none of the separatist leaders named in the FIRs have been arrested so far.
"It is the discretion of the investigating officer to arrest the accused," inspector general of police, Kashmir, SM Sahai said.
The mirwaiz dubbed the registration of cases as an expression of "total frustration".
However, the ruling National Conference said that the Hurriyat leader cannot wash his hands off and will have to explain for yesterday's violence.
"It is only in Idgah he decided to have a march towards Lal Chowk and he was allowed to do it. But, if he doesn't condemn the violence which took place, the arson and the loot, I leave it to his wisdom," NC leader Mehboob Baig said.
Besides the mirwaiz, his close aide Mohammad Yaqoob Vakil, and Nissar Hussain Rather have been named in the FIR filed at Safa Kadal police station.
"His (mirwiaz) Eid Speech was highly inflammatory and anti-national in content. In this context, FIR No 128/2010 under sections 13 Unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, 148,149 of RPC has been registered," a police spokesperson said.
At Lal Chowk, the mirwaiz, Vakil, Rather and Mushtaq-ul-Islam, by their speeches, instigated the public to resort to arson and damage public property, he said.
"An FIR No 59/2010 under sections 13 Unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, 436,109,153-A, 156 of RPC and Section 3 of Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act has been registered against them at Police Station Kothibagh," the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered against two close aides of hard line Hurriyat Conference chiarman Syed Ali Shah Geelani - underground Muslim League chairman Masarat Alam and Mehraj-ud-Din Kalwal - and others at a police station in Hazratbal area.
"They have been booked in FIR number 60/2010 under section 336, 148, 353,427,153A, 436 of RPC, section 13 Unlawful activities (prevention) Act and Section 3 of prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act," the spokesperson said.
After their speeches "mob set on fire the Auqaf barrack housing police men and a police vehicle at Hazratbal yesterday," he added.
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