Pellets to remain part of arsenal NIA summons Geelani’s elder son for questioning
Although the controversial weapon will continue to be in use, security forces have been told to use it in ‘rarest of rare cases’
NEW DELHI: Pellet guns will remain in use in Kashmir but security forces have been asked to use the controversial crowdcontrol weapon only in the “rarest of rare cases”, a home ministry official said on Monday.
The extensive of use of pellet guns – a non-lethal weapon that fires lead pieces – have fuelled anger in the Valley with hundreds of people, including children as young as four-yearold, suffering eye injuries in the current phase of violence.
The government also announced that on September 4, Union home minister Rajnath Singh will lead an all-party delegation to Kashmir, where at least 70 people have been killed in clashes between stone-pelting protesters and security forces since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
An expert panel constituted by Singh to suggest alternatives to pellet guns has submitted its report.
The official, however, did not elaborate what would be regarded as “rarest of rare” cases. The CRPF had earlier said that pellet guns are needed when there is a threat to the lives of security personnel.
According to sources, one of the key recommendations of the expert panel is to replace tear smoke with a more pungent chemical based on an organic compound found in natural chilli pepper.
In Kashmir, curfew was lifted from most parts of the Valley after 51 days as the situation showed signs of returning to normal.
An official said that though the all-party visit is for two days “it can be extended till September 6”. The official said there was no bar on the team members from meeting separatist leaders, one of the key demands by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani’s son for questioning, prompting harsh reactions from Hurriyat Conference which termed it a “psychological crackdown” by India.
The separatist body, in a statement said, Geelani’s elder son Dr Naeem Geelani has been issued a notice by the NIA to report to their interrogation centre in Shivpora for questioning.
A team of NIA investigators has been camping in Srinagar for the past four days to probe into what reports said was some “suspicious transactions” across bank accounts in the Valley over the last few months.
The NIA investigators want to know whether the trail of funds was in any way linked to militancy or anti-national activities during the current unrest.
Fifty-two-year-old Naeem, who is a doctor, spent about 12 years in Pakistan before returning home in 2010. After his return, there was speculation that senior Geelani would nominate Naeem as his political successor, which was later denied by the Hurriyat Conference.
The Hurriyat, in its statement on Monday, said Geelani and his family were being “maligned in a well knit conspiracy by Indian imperialist agencies”.
The statement said the Indian government was “framing profreedom leaders to subdue the current uprising”.
“After miserably failing to curb the current mass uprising by all the military might, Indian government is frustrated to the extent that they frame and arrest the pro-freedom leaders and activists,” the separatist outfit said.
The Hurriyat warned that these “inhuman, immoral and undemocratic tactics” will not deter the “pro-freedom people from advocating their just cause”.