Senior NC leader Ali Mohammad Sagar and his son, in preventive custody since August 5, were set free for a brief period to offer funeral prayers for a close family member who passed away on Wednesday.
Sagar, NC general secretary, and his son Salman Sagar, party’s youth chief, were escorted from the MLA hostel-turned jail to the old city to attend the funeral prayers of Siraj-ud-Din Kawa, father-in-law of the senior Sagar.
The family of Sagar said the duo had sought permission to attend the prayers and to be with the family during the four-day mourning. “However, they were only allowed to attend the funeral prayers.”
Eyewitness said a large contingent of the police and CRPF was deployed.
NC Lok Sabha member from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi rued the government decision for not allowing them to stay with the family.
“They should have been allowed to stay with their family in this hour of grief. He was detained under Section 107 CrPC and there are no charges against him. He is in preventive custody for five months and still the government did not allow him to be with the bereaved family for four days,” said Justice Masoodi.
However, a senior government official said they had only got the request for attending the funeral prayers. “We allowed the two detainees to attend the prayers after their request.” — TNS
