Srinagar: Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) chairperson Syed Asiya Andrabi was re-arrested outside the court premises here on December 21 immediately after her release. Andrabi was re-arrested in another case by the police in connection with a case filed against her in 2010. Though the Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, ordered Andrabi’s release in the open court, she was re-arrested and remanded to 10-day’s police custody by the 3rd Additional Sessions Judge, Srinagar, in a case filed against her at Safakadal police station in Srinagar in 2010.
The Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar submitted before the court that 15 cases were registered against her and were under investigation, Andrabi’s advocate, however, argued that out of 15 cases, Andrabi stands bailed out in 11 and bail bonds have been furnished before the court in three more cases, but in only one case (registered at police station Safakadal), the bail bonds were not furnished.
Pleading her release on humanitarian grounds, DeM chairperson’s advocate argued that her health condition was deteriorating, which posed a risk to her life. A medical report submitted by medical officer of Central Jail Srinagar stated that Andrabi was suffering from bronchial asthma, hypertension, allergic dermatitis and chronic lower backache and her hypertension was not coming under control despite the medication been changed thrice. The report added that Andrabi had suffered an asthma attack in jail for which she was referred to SKIMS where she was diagnosed with angioedema, urticaria and bronchospams. “These are life-threatening conditions and cannot be managed in the jail hospital,”the report said, adding that environmental factors like dust and infection from other female jail inmates could increase the risk of bronchospasm and angioedema that could be fatal for her.
Andrabi and her personal secretary Fehmeeda Sofi were booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) in May this year and lodged at Amphalla jail in Jammu.
Castigating government for re-arresting Andrabi, Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement here on December 23 termed it ‘political vendetta’. Mirwaiz said that it has become the habit of police to frame fictitious charges against separatists once they are acquitted by courts.
Condemning the re-arrest and detention of Andrabi, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association in a statement hereon December 22said, “Instead of releasing her, she was booked in an FIR of 2010 so as to make her release impossible and was lodged at some unknown place.” The Bar Association requested United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Asia Watch and other human rights organizations across the world to take notice of the treatment meted out to political detenues and under-trial prisoners of Kashmir and the disdain and contempt shown by the authorities by disobeying the orders of the courts, so as to perpetuate the illegal detention of political prisoners in violation of the International Law on flimsy and baseless grounds.