Yasin Malik demands release of Kashmiri businessman, participates in protest held by family

Srinagar: The relatives and family members once again questioned the arrest of a Kashmiri businessman Bilal Ahmed Kawa of Alikadal Srinagar in 17 year-old Red Fort attack case, terming the detention unwarranted and uncalled for.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik also participated in the protest. He lambasted Delhi Police for arresting an innocent whose name figure nowhere in Jammu Kashmir police record.
Pertinently, in a joint operation, the Delhi Police and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Kashmiri man Bilal Ahmed Kawa on Wednesday from the T-3 terminal of the Delhi Airport. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad has labeled him as a suspect allegedly involved in the 2000 Red Fort attack in New Delhi.
Three people, including two Army jawans, were killed in the December 22, 2000 Red Fort attack.
Malik while demanding the immediate release of Bilal Ahmed said that in past as well Kashmiri youth were framed in false cases. There were people from Kashmir who spent their prime of youth in Indian jails and later were acqutied by court.
“This person (Kawa) from downtown Srinagar has been doing business in Delhi from last 25 years. He even has a driving license issued by the authorities in Delhi,” said Malik.
He questioned Kawa’s arrest after almost 20 years of the incident. “This incident has happened 20 years before. There is no FIR against him here. They (Delhi police) never said that he was wanted in any case,” said Malik.
Terming Kawa’s arrest by Delhi police as a “ploy” to get promotions, Malik said: “Somebody should ask Delhi police why they are doing this. This is a ploy to get awards and promotions. How can they justify arrest of an innocent person?”
Cautioning New Delhi about ramifications of arresting the innocent persons, he said that Kashmiris are forced to pick up the gun. “In present times you are seeing in south Kashmir that educated youth are joining the armed struggle. These are the same boys whose families were harassed in 2008 and 2010,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family members also demanded the release of Bilal Ahmed Kawa. They appealed State Police to help in the release of Kawa. “He is a businessman and has been arrested for the crime he never committed. Even State Police has given him a clean chit. We fail to understand why he has been arrested,” they said.