Hurriyat hardline faction chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was placed under house arrest as the two-day general strike called by the separatist leader and terrorist outfits against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's round table conference began in Kashmir on Wednesday.
A police team was posted at Geelani's house in Hyderpora on the airport road, where a suicide bomb attack on Tuesday left 27 BSF personnel injured, during the wee hours with strict instructions not to allow him to leave, officials said.
They said Geelani was placed under house as authorities apprehended he might lead a demonstration in the city.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Nanaji faction) convenor Javid Mir and two of his close associates were also detained on Tuesday evening and lodged at Panthachowk police station on the outskirts of the city, they said.
They were only in preventive custody and would be released shortly, the officials said.
Roads in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley wore a deserted look as people remained indoors in response to the strike call given by the Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference and almost all terrorist outfits.
The stringent security arrangements added impact to the strike as roads leading to the city were blocked by security forces deployed in strength to ward off any terrorist attack during the round table meet.
{{/usCountry}}The stringent security arrangements added impact to the strike as roads leading to the city were blocked by security forces deployed in strength to ward off any terrorist attack during the round table meet.
{{/usCountry}}Shops and business, educational institutions, banks and other establishments remained closed while work in government and semi-government offices was badly affected due to lack of transport.