Ashraf Sehrai’s two sons booked under UAPA

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Police booked two sons of late Ashraf Sehrai under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for “raising anti-national slogans” at the funeral of their father on 6 May, 2021.

The Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman, Ashraf Sehrai, died on May 5 at GMC hospital in Jammu during his imprisonment under Public Safety Act (PSA) in Jammu jail. His body was brought to his native village Tekkipora-Sogam in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, where he was buried on May 6 at around 4:00 AM.

An official said that the sons of late Ashraf Sehrai have been booked under Section 13 in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, for raising “anti-national slogans” at the funeral of their father on 6 May, 2021.

Both the sons of late Sehrai – Mujahid Sehrai and Rashid Sehrai, were arrested from their residence at Bulbulbagh area of Barzulla in Srinagar on Saturday night by the Kupwara Police along with Srinagar Police.

The official said that while taking the body of Sehrai to Tekkipora-Sogam graveyard in Kupwara for burial on May 6, some people were found raising “pro-freedom and provocative slogans”. The video of the same had gone viral on social media. Accordingly, a case was registered against 20 people found raising slogans, he said.

An FIR number 21/2021 is registered at Police Station Sogam in this regard and further investigation is on, he added.

Earlier, Kashmir Police in reply to a tweet of Mehbooba Mufti said that “both sons of Late Sehrai & 4 others have been arrested for raising #antinational slogans during funeral. But, they haven’t been booked under PSA. Plz don’t spread #rumour.”