Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Three days after the death of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday registered an FIR against his family for draping his body in Pakistani flag and resorting to anti-India sloganeering.
A police official said FIR No 227/ 2021 under section 353 of Indian penal code, 13 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was registered at Police Station Budgam against the family members of Geelani.
The FIR was filed against the family members for chanting anti-India slogans and draping Geelani’s body with a Pakistani flag.
Geelani, 92, died at Hyderpora residence in Srinagar on September 1 evening. His body was buried quietly in a graveyard near his residence before sunrise.
However, his son Naeem Geelani alleged that police had forcibly taken away Geelani’s body, dug the grave, gave the last bath to the body and buried it in the grave without any of the family members being present during the burial.
The family had alleged the police stormed the house, misbehaved with people present inside including women and forcibly took away Geelani’s body.
Police, however, denied the charge saying “police instead facilitated in bringing the dead-body from house to graveyard as there were apprehensions of miscreants taking undue advantage of the situation. The relatives of the deceased participated in the burial”.
The videos of Geelani’s body draped in a Pakistani flag have gone viral on social media.
In the videos, there is commotion and sloganeering in the room where Geelani’s body is lying and armed policemen can also be seen.
The videos have gone viral after the restoration of broadband internet yesterday evening. The mobile and internet services were suspended after Geelani’s death and mobile internet service is still suspended.
DGP Dilbagh Singh said people at Geelani’s residence misbehaved with SSP and other policemen.
“There was a lot of anti-national sloganeering and attempts to instigate people by using social media and phone calls,” he said.
After Geelani’s death, authorities imposed restrictions and suspended mobile and internet service to maintain law and order.
Situation remained peaceful
A police spokesman said the situation across Kashmir remained peaceful today and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere except one minor pelting in Narkara area of Budgam.
“Several preventive measures have been taken to maintain L&O situations including preventive arrests of dozens of miscreants so far,” he said.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar appealed to public not to pay any heed to the rumours being maliciously spread by anti-national elements especially across the border with an objective to disturb the prevalent peaceful atmosphere in the valley.
“Several social media platform running from Pakistan have been trying to spread fake news and videos to instigate miscreants to disturb situations. Even a few local media persons and channels have been found spreading fake news. We are observing it, maintaining evidence and appropriate actions shall be taken against them. Such elements are advised not to spread fake news without consulting law enforcement agencies,” he said.
The IGP said all police and security forces personnel have been sensitised regarding facilitating students appearing in different examinations.