Geelani, 79, was held after a midnight raid on his house in Srinagar, a
police source said, adding that he had been shifted to an undisclosed location
to prevent him calling for further demonstrations.
Anger over the death of a 17-year-old girl and her 22-year-old sister-in-law has
effectively shut down much of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, over the
past week.
Indian officials say preliminary investigations suggest drowning was the cause
of death, but the families of the victims have accused the security forces of
abducting, raping and killing the women.
In an attempt to curb the daily protests, which have so far claimed one life and
left more than 300 injured, authorities have issued a ban on demonstrations.
Before his arrest, Geelani made telephone calls to local reporters calling on
Muslims to hold protests on Monday to ‘express solidarity with the families of
the victims.’
A judicial probe ordered by Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has failed to
cool tempers. |
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