Srinagar, Sept 8: How newsy is pro-freedom leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, even if it means to catch a glimpse of him in camera? Well, ask the lensemen who Wednesday played hide-and-seek with policemen to catch the arrest of the veteran leader as he was whisked away.

Geelani, according to the sources,received a phone call from a local police station 45 minutes before his arrest. The aged leader, who suffers from multiple ailments, was asked to keep some of his daily requirements like clothing ready.

At around 11:30 AM the same leaked at Kashmir’s media hub –the Mushtaq Memorial Press Enclave here with lensemen rushing to Geelani’s residence at Hyderpora on the city outskirts.

But entering the lane leading to Geelani’s house wasn’t possible. Huge contingent of police and SOG men had cordoned off the entire area.

“Why are you people here. Go back. We are not going to arrest Geelani
Sahib. He is just under house arrest and we are guarding him,” a police official told mediamen.

But the witty media persons didn’t buy the police trick and played trickier.

“Ok. Let’s go back,” the lensemen replied and left the spot only to park their bikes at some distance from the lane.

From there they started walking down the Airport Road as if looking for something else worth shooting. In the meanwhile, entrance of a compound
adjacent to Geelani’s house was found open. One by one, the media persons sneaked into the premises and kept hiding behind the bushes with their eyes pinned at Geelani’s residence.

Suddenly a window opened and to everybody’s surprise Geelani emerged from there.

Geelani, as expected spoke about his future strategy if or not New Delhi accepts his 5-point proposal which includes revocation of AFSPA, release of all detainees and acceptance of Kashmir as dispute.

In no time the mediamen climbed the compound wall and from there took pictures.

The police officials on guard outside Geelani’s residence were taken by surprise that how come the media persons resurfaced.

But before they could act, Geelani in his speech had some advice for the cops as well as asked them to “always behave like Kashmiris because they are a part of Kashmiri society and not any non-locals from Bihar or Bengal.”
After his speech the window was shut and in a few moments the leader came out of his house.

After a few clicks from the wall top, the lensemen jumped down towards Geelani’s side rapidly catching him in his camera.

Jumping down the nine odd feet tall wall isn’t that easy. Some of the mediapersons including GK lenseman Mubashir Khan sustained minor injuries. But it wasn’t the time for any first-aid because Geelani’s frame remained their priority.

In the meantime, the veteran leader was arrested and whisked away in a Gypsy driven by a deputy superintendent of police.

By the time the Gypsy reached the main road, the locals were out on streets to protest against Geelani’s arrest.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST