Detained J&K leader’s son frisked, alleges kin

The police said a raid was conducted in the hostel where they recovered mobile phones from detained leaders. According to a relative of the NC leader, the forces also frisked the toddler while he was in his mother’s lap during a visit to the hostel.

The two-year-old son of a National Conference leader, who is currently under detention at Srinagar’s MLA hostel, was allegedly frisked by security forces at the detention centre — a charge denied by the police.

The two-year-old son of a National Conference leader, who is currently under detention at Srinagar’s MLA hostel, was allegedly frisked by security forces at the detention centre (Photo by Waseem Andrabi / Hindustan Times) (Representative Image)

The police said a raid was conducted in the hostel where they recovered mobile phones from detained leaders. According to a relative of the NC leader, the forces also frisked the toddler while he was in his mother’s lap during a visit to the hostel.

“The police unzipped the top of the boy and frisked him while he was in his mother’s lap. They also frisked a few other toddlers and an elderly woman who was visiting her son. This enraged the political leaders who launched a protest,” said the relative. “The leaders approached the police and were assured that this won’t be repeated,” he added.

Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti also tweeted that a detainee’s “3-year-old infant son was nearly strip searched & this resulted in an altercation between political detainees & JK police.”

“It is absolutely wrong,” he said. He added, “We recovered 11 mobile phones from inside which had been smuggled into the premises.

Nearly 34 political leaders of mainstream parties in J&K, including the National Conference and Peoples’ Democratic Party, have been under detention since August 5.

They were shifted from a hotel to the government-owned MLA hostel in Srinagar on November 17.