By IANS,
Srinagar: Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Monday accused the security forces of being a threat to his life and disrupting his peaceful public gatherings, saying an armed soldier had been caught from one of his rallies. Police asked him to furnish proof.
Addressing a media conference at his uptown Hyderpora residence here, Geelani said: “During our peaceful rally last Friday in Sopore town there was some commotion in which people caught a person and recovered a pistol from his possession. The person belonged to the army.”
“His identity card said he was Naik Kamlesh Misra of the army. Police have also registered an FIR in the incident following our written complaint. The army also later confirmed he was part of the army’s covert team. Why was he present at our rally with a weapon?”
The senior separatist leader also said he had filed an application in this regard at the Sopore police station.
Geelani claimed he had been attacked 18 times in the past by the security forces, the first time being in 1996 when he alleged a rocket was fired at his house.
He also expressed fear that the security forces would harm his life and later blame separatist gunmen for it.
Meanwhile, police asked Geelani to produce the pistol, the identity card and the camera of the alleged army operative caught by the people in the Sopore rally Nov 11.
Responding to Geelani’s statement, a police press release here said: “…it is stated that Syed Ali Shah Geelani has moved an application before police station Sopore, but he was told to produce the pistol, identity card and the camera of the army man since Ayaz Akbar, the spokesman of Geelani’s Hurriyat group, has already briefed the media that the said army man was caught by Geelani’s men and a pistol was recovered from his possession besides an identity card of the army Intelligence, which he has failed to produce before the police”.
The press release confirmed that an FIR is already registered in this regard and Geelani’s application would form a part of the investigations.
Police also said “it is a really encouraging gesture on the part of Geelani that he has reposed trust in the system and the police for their professional competence”.