23 persons booked under Public Safety Act in Srinagar, says Police

May 17, 2025 by News Desk

In a continued crackdown on what authorities have described as “elements posing a threat to public peace and national security,” Srinagar Police have detained 23 individuals under the Public Safety Act (PSA), accusing them of being linked to banned militant outfits and involved in repeated acts of public disorder.

According to a statement released by the police and carried by Kashmir Bulletin, the detentions followed weeks of investigation and preparation of dossiers. A senior police official said the individuals “were not only habitual offenders but continued to incite unrest and indulge in subversive activities despite multiple FIRs and bailouts.”

He added that the crackdown is part of a broader strategy aimed at “dismantling anti-national infrastructure operating within Srinagar.”

Among those booked is Saqib Shafi Wani from Baghi Sunder Bala, Chattabal, who, according to the dossier, was previously involved in multiple cases related to public disturbances. Similarly, Waleed Aijaz Sheikh of New Colony Batmaloo and Sayar Ahmad Sheikh, also from Batmaloo, have been accused of being “persistent actors in fomenting unrest in the area,” a police spokesperson said.

Hashim Farooq Mir from Ikhrajpora, Rajbagh, and Tawseef Ahmad Khan of Firdous Abad Batmaloo were also detained. Police claim that both were “in regular touch with handlers across the border and were instrumental in coordinating street-level mobilization.” Others include Showkat Ahmad Dar of Dooha Mohalla Nishat, Ali Mohammad Rather from Malfuk Hazratbal, and Musaib Ahmad Khan from Hamdania Colony Bemina, who were named in several cases involving “provocative sloganeering and attempts to radicalize youth.”

The police statement emphasized that “the action was taken only after securing formal detention orders from the office of the District Magistrate, Srinagar.” It also stated that those detained have been lodged in district jails in Poonch, Udhampur, and Kot Balwal in Jammu.

Further names include Owais Farooq Lone of Batagund Tral (presently residing in Maisuma), Feroz Ahmad Najar of Chandipora Harwan, Shabir Ahmad Ghulam of Bagiyas, and Sajid Shahnawaz Mir from Firdous Abad Batmaloo. Police maintain that these individuals had continued to organize or participate in protests and unlawful gatherings even after previous detentions.

Residents of Budgam—Muzaffar Farooq Mir and Uneeb Naseer Mir from Dangerpora Shahzadpora—were also among those arrested. “They were found involved in spreading anti-national narratives both on-ground and online,” the police said.

Others include Numan Qayoom Ganie of Methan Chanpora, Owais Altaf Bhat of Padshahibagh, Junaid Zahoor Bangroo from Malik Angan Fatehkadal, Irfan Ahmad Seeru of Khankhal Nawakadal, and Fahad Bashir Sidique of Akilmir Khanyar. Police described them as “repeat offenders who refused to reform.”

Zubair Ahmad Lone of Saidapora Eidgah, Faizan Yaseen Sheikh of Kaka Sahab Jamalatta, Ibrahim Rashid Ganie of Moomina Abad Batmaloo, and Abdul Hamid Ganie from New Theed Harwan were also named in the statement. Authorities alleged that several of them maintained contact with overground workers and helped facilitate protests.

“Those who believe they can act with impunity should know the law will eventually catch up,” a police official remarked, asserting that these arrests are “only a part of a continuous effort to safeguard public order.”

The police said it remains committed to targeting individuals and networks allegedly involved in subversive acts. “This is not just about maintaining law and order for a day or two,” a senior officer noted, “It’s about dismantling a longer chain of disruption that fuels unrest and instability.”