High drama at Congress leader residence; Soz climbs wall, cops pull him down, video goes viral

Srinagar: A day after the government told the Supreme Court that Saif-ud-Din Soz was not under detention, a police posse forcibly dragged him away after he climbed a boundary wall to address media at his Friends Colony residence.

A 1.47-minute video has now gone viral in which cops forcibly evict Soz and stop him from speaking to media. Cops later rebuked the waiting media persons asking them to leave the place. “Bahar jaw,” shouted a cop to media persons.

After Soz was pulled down, he shouted at the cop: “Haat mat lagaw (Don’t touch me)”. Later some cops scaled the wall and signaled media men to leave.

Earlier, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said 15 of his colleagues were under “illegal” detention” like Soz

“Soz Sahib’s plight is not unique.  @JKNC_ has gone to court because more than 15 of our colleagues are similarly illegally detained & I have no doubt the administration will claim they aren’t detained. As if any of these people would sit at home for a year of their own free will,” he tweeted.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti also took to Twitter to express displeasure over the alleged manhandling of  Soz.

“Sad to see Saifuddin Sahab get manhandled by police for speaking to media. I faced the same situation in Jan when I tried to address media at my house in Srinagar. @SalmanSoz I think it would help if he spoke to media via zoom? Will expose J&K admin & police both,” she said using her mother’s twitter handle

Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that “‘Soz was free and not under detention”. The court was hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by senior Congress leader’s wife.

Hours later when media reached Soz’s house in Srinagar, the Congress leader was not being allowed by the police to move out or speak to the press. 

 Later Soz climbed the wall and spoke to the media about his detention. “How can the government say in the supreme court that Soz is free when I continue to be under detention,” he said.

 “These people (policemen) are saying that they have got the order from their higher-ups for my detention.  All you can see is that a lie is projected in the Supreme Court by the government,” Soz said