JK admin releases 4 politicians from preventive detention: officials

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday released four politicians from preventive custody in the MLA hostel, which has been temporarily converted into a subsidiary jail, officials said here.

The three of the released politicians belong to the National Conference and one is from the PDP, they said.

The four have been sent to their homes and asked to remain confined within their residence, for the time being, they said.

The leaders released are Abdul Majeed Bhat Larni, Ghulam Nabi Bhat and Dr Mohammed Shafi (all National Conference) and Mohammed Yusuf Bhat of the PDP.

They were detained along with several other politicians, leaders, activists and traders after the abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution on August 5 last year.

Among other prominent politicians who have been detained since the Article 370 move are NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and JK People’s Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone.

They have still not been released.

While senior Abdullah has been kept at his Gupkar house, his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah has been detained at Hari Niwas.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who was lodged at Chesmashahi Huts, has been shifted to a government building in the heart of Srinagar.

The senior Abdullah was slapped with stringent Public Safety Act on September 17 which was renewed for a period of three months on December 16.