Former JeI spokesperson surrenders in 2019 attempted jailbreak case

Srinagar, May 19 (PTI) A former spokesperson of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami who faced multiple cases has surrendered before police in connection with an attempted jailbreak in 2019, police said on Sunday.

They said Ali Mohammad Lone alias Zahid Ali surrendered before the police in Srinagar.

A police spokesman said, “The accused person namely Ali Mohd Lone @ Advocate Zahid Ali son of Habibullah Lone resident of Nihama Pulwama, who was involved in Case FIR No. 19/2019 under section 13 of UAP Act” surrendered before the police station concerned and was arrested on May 16 in the jailbreak case.

He was also booked at Rainawari Police Station under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

The spokesman said the accused was allegedly involved in conspiracy and commission of crimes involving arson, rioting, an attempt to jailbreak, raising anti-national slogans and stone pelting in Srinagar Central Jail in 2019.

A former chief of the JeI had recently said the outfit would contest future elections if the Centre lifts the ban on the outfit imposed in 2019.

Lone was released from custody in April after five years of detention under Public Safety Act.

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while ordering his release a month ago, had directed the union territory administration to pay a compensation of Rs five lakh to the former spokesman of banned Jamaat-e-Islami outfit for his illegal detention under the Public Safety Act.

Lone, who was spokesperson of Jamaat-e-Islami for a long time, was first arrested in March 2019 but his preventive detention was quashed by the court in July that year. However, he was detained again under preventive laws within six days but the order was set aside by the court in 2020. Within three months, he was again booked under preventive laws but the detention was again set aside by the court in 2021.

He was booked for the fourth time in 2021 under the PSA which was quashed by the court last month.

“Now if three judgments of this Court quashing preventive detention of the petitioner made three times hereto before have not been spared a passing glance, lest an application of mind, by and on the part of the SSP Pulwama, the respondent No.2- District Magistrate Pulwama and last by the respondent No.1- Govt. of UT of J&K as well, then how can it be claimed by the said three authorities at their respective end that the fourth time preventive detention of the petitioner is an outcome of an open and fair mindset acting upon changed factual scenario,” the court had observed in its 13-page order.