Kashmir Man Arrested For Holding "No Hope In Outsiders"

Sajad Rashid Sofi expressed his opinion during a durbar held last week in Ganderbal by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Kumar.

A Kashmiri man has been put behind bars for allegedly "promoting enmity" by publicly saying that he "holds hope only in native officials" and not those from outside the state. The 55-year-old had expressed his opinion during a public hearing held last week in Ganderbal by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Kumar. Sajad Rashid Sofi of Safapora, Ganderbal, remains under preventive detention even after getting interim bail two days after his arrest on June 10. The public hearing durbar was organised on June 10 by the Lieutenant Governor to meet common people who seek his intervention on tricky issues. The event was attended by Mr Sohi, along with six others, as part of a civil society delegation.During the proceedings, he reportedly addressed Farooq Khan, an advisor to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Kumar. "I can have expectations from you because you are a Kashmiri and you can understand us. I can grab you by the collar and seek answers. But what expectations can I have from officers who are outsiders?" Mr Sofi told Mr Khan.