'Org, activists part of Hurriyat behind stone pelting'

Separatist organisations and activists linked to Hurriyat Conference are behind the stone-pelting incidents in the Kashmir valley, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Responding to a written question by AIADMK MP A K Selvaraj, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said inputs indicated that illegal money is being sent through hawala channels from across the border to finance terror-related activities, stone pelting and attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Investigation has revealed that various separatist organisations and activists which are part of Hurriyat have been behind the incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir valley. NIA has chargesheeted 18 persons in the terror funding cases so far," he said.

To a question by LJP's M P Veerendra Kumar, Reddy said 234 prisoners belonging to Jammu and Kashmir are currently lodged in different jails of Uttar Pradesh and 27 others in Haryana prisons. A total of 3,248 prisoners are lodged in the jails of Jammu and Kashmir and the total number of prisoners belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, within the state as well as outside, is 3,509.

In 2018, Reddy said, 2,728 people were in Jammu and Kashmir jails. Another 41 from the state were in the jails of Haryana, he added.

The cases against those lodged in various jails were related to murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rape, theft, burglary, dowry death, kidnapping and abduction, cheating, those registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), besides preventive detention, Reddy said.

Responding to the question by CPI(M)'s Elamaram Kareem, he said 5,161 people, including stone pelters, overground workers, separatists etc. were taken into preventive custody in the Kashmir Valley since August 4 to prevent the breach of peace, activities prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order.

"Of them, 609 are under preventive detention. Since, these people have been detained under statutory provisions by the magistrates concerned, based on their satisfaction in each case, it is not possible for the government to give any timeline for their release," Reddy said.