As a “special Eid gesture,’ the Government of India allowed around 120 Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside J&K to make calls to their homes on May 24.
Official sources said Ministry of Home Affairs allowed 122 prisoners to make call to their respective homes for extending Eid greetings and enquire about welfare of their families. The prisoners are lodged in jails in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
“Only those prisoners were permitted to call home who are not in jail for militancy related cases,” sources said.
“The decision was taken as a special Eid gesture towards J&K prisoners lodged in jails in various states,” officials said.
Most of these prisoners were arrested in the run-up to August 5, 2019, when the Government of India stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special Constitutional position and imposed a total lockdown of the region; arrested leaders, activists, lawyers, and snapped all communication lines including telephones and internet.