Kashmiri student held under UAPA

nSRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir police have arrested a 26-year-old post-graduate Kashmir University (KU) student in a 2018 case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), two officers said on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear why was UAPA slapped on Aqib Ahmad Malik even as his family said they suspect the case related to a protest he had held on the campus in 2018 against poor food quality served in hostels.

Malik, who had been home in the Shopian district since the university’s closure because of the Covid-19, was summoned on Friday to Srinagar’s Nigeen police station near the university and arrested immediately.

“We have arrested him in a 2018 case under UAPA,” said station house officer Gowhar Ahmad. He refused to provide more details of the case.

Officials aware of the matter said Malik has been booked under UAPA’S section 13, which deals with “a person who advocates, abets, advises or incites the commission of, any unlawful activity”.

Police superintendent Sudhanshu Verma said they arrested Malik after collecting evidence in the case. “Without evidence, we could not have arrested him. Besides due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it [arrest] took some time. That is why he was arrested now,” said Verma. He did not also provide further details.

Malik’s family cited the protest and added they suspect he has been arrested because of it. “He was home for three months and was called to reach the police station where he was arrested. He had protested against the bad quality of food in 2018,” said Faizan Mushtaq, Maik’s brother. “He had raised a voice against corruption in the varsity and that is why things went against him.”

Nisar Ahmad Mir, the Kashmir University registrar, said they have nothing to do with the case. “The university has been closed because of Covid-19 and no classes are going on. He is our student... It is a 2018 case in Nigeen police station, we have not filed any case against him. Issues in hostels are a part of the University life.”