ULB polls: Police arrest dozens in southern districts
Pulwama/Shopian: Ahead of the scheduled Urban Local Bodies polls in the state, over three dozen youth have been arrested by the forces from the twin districts of South Kashmir including Pulwama and Shopian.
Locals from the area said the forces have been conducting nocturnal raids and as many as forty youth have been arrested from various areas so far.
Inhabitants of Heff Shermal area of Shopian said that at least five youth identified as Nisar Ahmed Padder, Showkat Ahmed Lone, Sameer Ahmed Malla and Shiraz Ahmed Teeli were arrested during nocturnal raids.
“In Imam Sahib area of Shopian, a dozen youth were picked up during raids conducted in the area. Majority among the arrested youth are students of Jamia Siraj ul uloom Shopian,” they said.
Locals from Omen Shopian said that two youth were arrested during the raids.
The residents from Kundulan Shopian said that two persons including a 60-year-old identified as Abdul Quyoom Parray have been arrested during a nocturnal raid.
They said that Parray was arrested after his son was not found at his home.
Locals from Chitragam Kalan said that Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, Fayaz Ahmed Malik and a few others from adjacent areas have been picked up during raids conducted by Forces in this Shopian locality.
In similar kind of raids, around 20 youth have been arrested from main Pulwama and its adjacent areas including Murran, Drabgam and Karimabad.
A senior police official while confirming the arrests said that some among them have links with the militants while as a few have been picked up ahead of the elections.
Notably, the elections in the state are slated to be start from October 08, 2018.
Jahangeer Ganaie
