The J&K police on Saturday lodged an First Information Report in central Kashmir's Budgam district against the family members and “miscreants” who raised anti-India slogans and wrapped the body of deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in a Pakistani flag on September 1-2.
“An FIR was registered against the family, relatives and some miscreants who created unlawful activities on September 1-2 night after the death of Geelani in his house,” a police officer said.
The FIR has been registered under number 277/2021 under several sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Police sources said the family members were seen “raising anti-national slogans” and “resorted to other anti-national activities like putting Pakistani flag on the body”.
Also read: Obituary | Syed Ali Shah Geelani: A pro-Pak. ideologue who witnessed Kashmir’s chequered history
A video that has gone viral on the social media platforms also showed the body of Geelani wrapped in a Pakistani flag. Geelani, a pro-Pakistan ideologue, died in Srinagar late on September 1. The video also shows a group of people, including women, wailing and protesting against the police’s move to take away the body of Geelani for the funeral.
Geelani’s family members alleged that they were not allowed to participate in his last rites. The HUrriyat leader was buried around 3:30 a.m. in a nearby graveyard at Hyderpora.
However, police claim that they had facilitated and shifted the body from the house to the graveyard nearby “to keep miscreants at bay”.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said the family members of Geelani misbehaved with the Senior Superintendent of Police and other policemen. “There was a lot anti-national sloganeering and attempts to instigate people,” the DGP said.
