Srinagar, April 24 (IANS) The Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore area of Baramulla district said on Friday that it has booked six miscreants under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

A police statement said: “The Jammu and Kashmir Police in Sopore have booked six miscreants under the Public Safety Act for involvement in recent vandalism and public disorder. The six alleged miscreants are detained at Bhaderwah District Jail and more involved are being identified and strict action will continue.”

The individuals have been identified as Umar Akbar Hajam, son of Mohammad Akbar and resident of Seelu village in Baramulla; Salman Ahmed Shala, son of Mohammad Ramzan Shala and resident of Shalpora area in Sopore; Altaf Ahmed Sheikh, son of Mohammad Rajab Sheikh and resident of Panzipora Tarzoo village in Sopore; Mubashir Ahmed Gilkar, son of Fayaz Ahmed Gilkar and resident of Naseerabad area in Sopore; Muzammil Mushtaq Changa, son of Mushtaq Ahmed Changa and resident of Arampora village in Sopore; and Majid Firdous Dar, son of Firdous Ahmed Dar and resident of Chinkipora area in Sopore.

Trouble started in Sopore town earlier this month when a senior lecturer at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Sopore, identified as Ghulam Hassan alias Azhar, was suspended and a police case was registered following accusations of sexual harassment by a female student.

A girl student alleged harassment by the teacher, causing immense distress to students and parents.

The accused teacher was suspended, and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him by the police.

Following the allegations, intense protests were staged by students in Sopore, demanding strict action against the teacher.

Sopore Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Iftikhar Talib, assured that the police took immediate action and are conducting a thorough investigation, promising a fair and transparent investigation.

The situation had caused significant concern regarding safety in educational institutions within the Sopore town.

Sopore town was known in the past as the ‘Chota London of Kashmir’ because of apple trade, and has also been the hotbed of separatism in the past.

Hardline senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani belonged to this town and he had fought and won two Assembly elections from the town before advocating separatism and endorsing armed violence.

Geelani initially belonged to the Jamaat-e-Islami and later adopting a more hardline posture and announcing his separate party Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

He also parted ways with the separatist political conglomerate, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and formed the breakaway faction of the Hurriyat led by him.

–IANS

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