Another Mufti bombshell: Dreaded separatist freed

Masarat Alam has dozens of cases including waging of war against him and also carries a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh

Just a week in office and the Mufti government is inflicting one blow after another on the Indian psyche. On the day of swearing-in last Sunday, he praised Pakistan for allowing polls to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Then on Monday, he sought the remains of Afzal Guru, another sensitive issue. And now this.

On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir government under direct orders from Mufti Mohammed Sayeed released dreaded Kashmiri separatist leader Masarat Alam who has dozens of cases including waging of war against him and also carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

Alam, 44, who had spearheaded stone-pelting agitations here between 2008 and 2010, was brought out of Baramulla district jail on Saturday and taken to Shaheed Gunj police station where he was handed over to his family members, official sources said here.

Alam, once considered a confidant of hardline Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was a prize catch in 2010 when he had been issuing calendars for hartals and stone pelting. He went underground when police went after him for his anti-national activities.

Alam was apprehended in Harwan area on the outskirts of the city in October, 2010 in an operation in which police and central agencies had been tracking every detail of his movement in the city. His release follows the order of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who after taking over the reins on March 1, had directed that all political prisoners be freed from jail. When it was pointed out that there were only a few including Masarat Alam, who was arrested earlier as a political prisoner but later his alleged involvement was found in other cases leading to slapping of section 121 (waging of war against the country) charge, the Chief Minister ordered his release. Alam, whose Muslim League is a constituent of hardline Hurriyat Conference headed by Geelani, was arrested for his alleged role in fuelling anti-national protests during the agitations that left more than 120 persons dead and thousands others injured. During his hiding in 2010, Alam had been in close touch with his "masters from across the border" and he had virtually taken centrestage of hardline separatist politics dislodging Geelani.