J&K Police arrest separatist leader Javed Mir over 1996 Srinagar mob clash case

J&K Police on Tuesday arrested separatist leader and former Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) commander Javed Mir in connection with a 1996 mob clash in Srinagar. Mir is accused of leading a procession accompanying the body of a slain commander, during which the crowd allegedly attacked police personnel in the city's Naaz Crossing area.

Mir, who was known as Javed Nalka during the peak of militancy in Kashmir, was taken into custody on Tuesday by personnel from the Shergarhi police station, officials said.

The 1996 case is registered under multiple provisions, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

A day earlier, Srinagar Police had also arrested separatist leader Shakeel Ahmed Bakshi in connection with the same case.

Mir remained active in separatist politics after the JKLF militant outfit laid down arms, but largely kept a low profile following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

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(With PTI inputs)