Ashraf Sehrai's sons arrested for raising ‘anti-national’ slogans: J&K police

Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday said that two sons of separatist leader late Ashraf Sehrai, have been arrested for raising ‘anti-national’ slogans during funeral of their father and not booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

“Both Sons of Late Ashraf Sehrai & Others were arrested for raising Anti National slogans during Sehrai's funeral. They haven’t been booked under PSA. People are appealed not to pay heed to rumors (sic),” Kashmir police tweeted.

Rashid and Mujahid – both sons of Sehrai who died at a hospital in Jammu on May 5, were arrested by the police from their uptown Baghat residence in Srinagar on Saturday evening in connection with a case registered in Kupwara district on May 6 after pro-freedom slogans were raised at the separatist leader’s funeral.

Sehrai’s other son - Junaid - a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed in an encounter with security forces here in May last year.

While reacting to detention of Sherai’s sons, former chief minister and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the PSA was government of India’s go to method for every problem.

“Latest example being Ashraf Sehrai’s sons who lost their father in custody due to inadequate medical care & have been arrested under PSA. In rest of India dead are being ill treated but in Kashmir its the living who are made to suffer,” she tweeted.

However, the police replied to Mehbooba’s tweet, “Don’t spread rumours”.

Moderate Hurriyat Conference while expressing serious concern over the arrest of late Sehrai’s sons, in a statement demanded that they should be released and the ‘persecution’ of the family stopped.

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Saif-ud-Din Soz in a statement while terming the detention of Sherai’s sons as unfortunate, alleged that ‘some’ people were adamant to see his sons punished for the ideas of their father.

“This is an obnoxious trait in the character of those who want to fight Ashraf Sehrai’s family after his demise. I reject this attitude with contempt,” he said.