Police on Monday booked Tehreek-i-Hurriyat (Teh) leader under public safety and shifted him to Jammu jail.
Aashiq Hussain, 36, TeH tehsil president for Anantnag was arrested day after the killing of a youth Rouf Ahmad Ganaie of Al Farooq Colony, in clashes with the government forces following the killing of five militants in Devsar area of neighboring Kulgam district on September 15.
Hussain had participated in the funeral of slain youth.
He was since then under detention at police station Saddar Anantnag.
According to the family, Hussain was first arrested in 2004 and booked under PSA when he was barely 22.
“He was kept in different jails in Jammu and later in central jail Srinagar and released in 2010,” said his mother Haneefa Akhtar.
She said that after his release her son did menial jobs to support the family. Later, she said, her son joined Iqbal Memorial Institute in non teaching staff.
“Police kept on harassing him following which he joined TeH in 2013,” Haneefa said.
She said that even after joining TeH he was arrested a number of times and kept under detention for months together.
Husain’s elder brother, a post graduate is a teacher in a private school.
“I was deserted by my husband when I was carrying younger son in my womb. I did all sort of menial work to give best possible education to my children,” Haneefa said.
The family is still living in an old muddy dilapidated house at Mattan Adda locality of old town.
“Yes my son is associated with Hurriyat but he has never indulged in violence,” said Haneefa with tears in her eyes.
A police official said that Hussain has been booked for instigating violence and carrying anti-national activities.
Earlier, on Saturday, 30 year old Sheikh Sartaj Ahmad , a lower rung TeH activist from Anchidora area of town who was arrested along with Hussain was also booked under PSA and shifted to Kotbalwal jail in Jammu.
On Saturday also, three youth were arrested during a nocturnal raid by the government forces at Panzath and Drinan villages of Qazigund in Anantnag district falling under police jurisdiction Kulgam and booked under PSA.
The arrested youth identified as Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh, Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh, Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, a police official said were booked for their alleged role in stone-pelting protests.