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Geelani’s family agreed to night burial, but changed mind later: J&K Police
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 91, died on Wednesday and was buried at a graveyard in Hyderpora. His family members alleged that police “snatched” his body, forcibly buried it, and thrashed them
The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Monday that separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s sons agreed to bury their father at night, and only changed their mind later.
Criticised for allegedly forcing Geelani’s burial, a charge the police refuted, a police spokesman said in a series of tweets that Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar met Geelani’s sons Nayeem Geelani and Naseem Geelani at their residence at 11pm on September 1, and requested them to bury their father at night to avoid “law and order problems”. Both allegedly agreed.
“After death of SAS Geelani, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar along with SP & ASP met both of his sons at their residence at 11pm, condoled them & requested for burial in the night for larger interest of general public due to potential major L&O situations. Both agreed and asked to wait for two hours until relatives reach,” tweeted the police spokesman.
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“IGP Kashmir personally spoke to a few relatives and ensured them of safe passage. However, 3 hrs later probably under the pressure from Pakistan & miscreants they behaved differently & started resorting to anti national activities including wrapping dead body in Pakistani flag, making loud sloganeering in favour of Pakistan and instigating neighbours to come out. After persuasion the relatives brought the dead body to the graveyard and performed last rites with due respect in presence of members of Intizamia Committee and local Imam,” the police spokesman said in another tweet.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 91, died on Wednesday and was buried at a graveyard in Hyderpora. His family members alleged that police “snatched” his body, forcibly buried it, and thrashed them.
The spokesman said that Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s sons refused to come to the graveyard for the burial.
“The refusal of both his sons to come to graveyard indicated their loyalty to Pakistani agenda rather than their love & respect for their departed father,” the spokesman tweeted.
The police, meanwhile, have registered a case under sections of the UAPA against Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s family members and “miscreants” for allegedly draping his body with a Pakistani flag.
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday, lashed out at the government for not allowing Geelani’s family to conduct his last rites.
“Its right of the family members to conduct last rites of a person. Here the government didn’t allow family members to conduct last rites, instead the family members of Geelani were beaten especially women and also cases slapped against them. India is a very big country and this is against its culture. This country is respected across world for its democracy and in democracy everybody has right to put their perspective,” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, a Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned the filing of an FIR against Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s family members over the alleged draping of the separatist leader’s body in a Pakistani flag.
In a statement, the Hurriyat faction said, “The details shared by Geelani’s son in media that the authorities took the body of the... leader into their custody, and buried it on their own without the knowledge and participation of the family is appalling and painful to hear.”
“It is so tragically inhuman when a family is denied the basic right of burial of their loved one and one can only imagine what the family must have gone through. After such harshness the authorities are now harassing the family with FIRs and threats of arrests,” it said.
