Authorities in Kashmir valley on Sunday placed hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani under house arrest immediately after his arrival at the airport here from New Delhi.
“Mr. Geelani was arrested at the airport immediately after his arrival and was taken in police custody to his Hyderpora residence where he was told that he cannot move out,” Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said.
Mr. Geelani had gone to New Delhi for a medical check-up on January 21 and had announced that he would return to the Valley this week for the death anniversaries of Mohammad Afzal Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat.
Mr. Akbar said Mr. Geelani’s residence was barricaded and no one was being allowed to go inside or move out. Hurriyat has called a three-day shutdown from Monday to press for the demands to return the mortal remains of Guru and Bhat.
