Shocking Arrest: Beloved Ex-Gen Secy of J&K HC Bar Association Mohd Ashraf Bhat Detained

NATIONAL, News Alert

Srinagar: Former J&K Bar Association General Secretary Arrested Under PSA

Srinagar, July 18: Muhammad Ashraf Bhat, the former General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bar Association, has been arrested in Srinagar. Sources indicate that Bhat was detained late Wednesday night from his Rawalpora residence and subsequently booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). He has been transferred to a jail in Kathua district, Jammu.

Bhat’s arrest marks the third high-profile detention of senior advocates in Kashmir, following previous arrests of Mian Qayoom and Nazir Ahmad Ronga, also under the PSA. Mian Qayoom had been apprehended during the investigation into the murder of advocate Babar Qadri, who was killed by terrorists in Srinagar’s Hawal area on September 2, 2020.

Babar Qadri, known for his participation in television debates, had publicly accused Qayoom of plotting his murder and had often criticized Qayoom’s tenure as the Bar Association president on social media.

In 2023, the Special Investigation Agency (SIA) announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on Qadri’s killers. The J&K Police claimed involvement of Saqib Manzoor, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, in Qadri’s killing. Manzoor was killed in an encounter in Srinagar along with another militant commander.

The police also conducted raids in 2022 on the homes of three lawyers in connection with Qadri’s case, including Qayoom’s residence in Barzulla, Srinagar. Investigations also targeted five local suspects, including two jail inmates in Srinagar.

The ongoing legal and security proceedings underscore the complexities of maintaining law and order in the region.

IANS

Original Story https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/07/18/ex-gen-secy-of-jk-hc-bar-association-mohd-ashraf-bhat-arrested-2/
Category : NATIONAL,News Alert
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