The government has booked a 20-year old boy under Public Safety Act (PSA) for “following in the footsteps” of his father, a Jamat I Islami (JeI) member who has been evading arrest ever since a crackdown was launched against the politico-socio-religious outfit. The boy has been shifted to a Jammu jail.
Aaqib Gulzar, a second-yearBA student, according to his kin, was picked up by the government forces from hishouse at Uranhall village of Bijbehara last month after they couldn’t locatehis father- Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Ameer e Tehsil, Jamat for Anantnag.
Bhat’s house was raidedafter the government launched a crackdown against the Jamat and detained morethan 400 of its top and middle rung activists in the valley.
Anticipating his, arrestBhat had fled from the home. However, the forces arrested his lone son instead.
“On the night of February24, forces raided our house and asked for my husband. As we were not aware ofhis whereabouts, they instead picked up my only son,” said Rafiqa Akhtar, 45.
Aaqib was taken to policestation Bijbehara and later to district jail Mattan Anantnag.
Charging him as “being athreat to the maintenance of public order” Aaqib was last week booked under thePSA and shifted to Kathua jail in Jammu.
The family, however,contested the charge alleging that he was booked only because his father isaffiliated to Jamat.
“Yes he might haveparticipated in protests on certain occasions but never ever has he resorted toviolence. They only arrested and booked him because they could not locate myhusband,” says Akhtar.
Themother of two daughters, Akhtar is worried about the safety of his son and theanxiety has deepened further following the custodial death of Rizwan AsadPandit of Awantipora.
“Ever since he was shiftedto Kathua, I have not slept at all. And after the custodial death incident (ofRizwan Pandit), my fears are growing,” says the worried mother.
The police dossier of Aqibaccuses him of being a “chronic stone pelter” and a “member of Jamiat u Tulba”,the student wing of Jamat.
“Whereas you are a chronicstone pelter, having secessionist tendencies from an early age. You arefollowing (in) the footsteps of your father, who is Tehsil President Jamat. Youyourself are a member of the youth wing of Jamiat E Tulba, a student wing ofJamat and your activities are highly prejudicial to the peace and publicorder,” the dossier reads.
It has also accused Aaqibof instigating the people to resort to violence. “In, the year, in the backdropof braid chopping incidents 2017 you lead the mob armed with sticks whichresorted to violence by at Uranhall along the national highway. The policetried to pacify the agitating mob, however, they didn’t pay heed and continuedwith sloganeering against state and Union of India (sic),” it reads.
In this regard, it saysthat a case FIR no 172/2017 stands registered against the accused in Policestation Bijbehara.