Srinagar: Family members of Syed Ali Shah Geelani were not allowed to attend his final rites after officials “snatched his body and forcibly buried him”, reported Associated Press.
“They snatched his body and forcibly buried him. Nobody from the family was present for his burial. We tried to resist but they overpowered us and even scuffled with women,” Naseem Geelani, the son of the veteran pro-freedom leader, told the news agency.
The Press Trust of India reported that officials buried Geelani’s body and disallowed any mass funeral in anticipation of anti-India protests.
Geelani was 92. He succumbed to prolonged illness at his residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora, where he was kept under house detention for the last 11 years.
He was buried 300 meters away from his home.
Residents of the Kashmir Valley woke up to a communication blackout and restrictions imposed on the movement by the armed forces after Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away at his home last night.
Barricades and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the city while civilians were not allowed to commute.
“There is very heavy deployment on the streets. I could not go out,” a resident of Srinagar told Free Press Kashmir.
Except a few government-owned BSNL networks, all mobile connections were snapped at night. Mobile internet services remain shut in the Valley.
The administration imposed restrictions on movement and communication after Hurriyat stalwart Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away.
The IGP while speaking to the press near Geelani’s residence last night said that only the relatives of Geelani will be allowed to attend the funeral. (With inputs from agencies)
