Firdous Hassan
Srinagar: In a major “anti-sabotage” operation, police allegedly “recovered” 11 mobile phones from MLA hostel where more than 34 political prisoners have been lodged.
“It was an anti-sabotage check and we have recovered 11 phones”, Munir Ahmad Khan, additional director general of police, Security, Law &Order, told The Kashmir Monitor.
The followed the inputs that mobile phones might have been smuggled into the MLA hostel, which has been designated as sub jail.
On Sunday, at least 34 political prisoners were shifted from Centaur hotel to MLA hostel. Those shifted include Sajad Lone of People’s Conference, Ali Mohammad Sagar of National Conference, Naeem Akhtar of PDP and former IAS officer turned politician Shah Faesal.
The anti-sabotage operation has stoked a fresh controversy with Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti claiming the detainees was again manhandled at the MLA hostel.
“Seems like manhandling detainees wasn’t enough J&K police on ADGs orders has raided MLA hostel, Srinagar today & subjected detainees to humiliating frisking & checking. One assumes, certain J&K police officers drunk on newfound power are doing this to settle political scores…Want to bring this to the attention of @HMOIndia @PMOIndia .Political detainees for reasons best known to state admin & JK police are living in squalor & are now being harassed on a daily basis,” she tweeted.
She said they are being treated worse than hardened criminals. “..Today, a detainee’s 3 year old infant son was nearly strip searched & this resulted in an altercation between political detainees & JK police. Request @PMOIndia to personally look into this and take stock of the situation,” she tweeted.
On Wednesday, cries of `ghost house’ resonated as relatives met caged politicians for the first time at the new detention center of MLA hostel.
“MLA hostel has been turned into ghost-house. There is complete darkness with no facilities,” Aaliya Bano, sister of Muzaffar Shah of Awami National Conference, told reporters on Wednesday.
Shehriyar Khanum, daughter of former minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar, said this is a defunct building which lacks basic facilities. “There should be a hygienic place for these leaders. Toilets are in bad shape. There are no heating arrangements and no proper lighting system,” she said
