Kashmir separatist leader arrested
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 | 12:26 PM ET
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A Kashmiri protester dares Indian policemen to shoot him during a protest in Srinagar, India, on Wednesday. (Altaf Qadri/Associated Press) Police arrested a top separatist leader Wednesday for rallying massive anti-India protests that have rocked the Indian portion of Kashmir for months.
Police Inspector-General Shiv Murari Sahai said officers arrested hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 82, at his residence for causing "breach of peace" in the region.
The news of his arrest triggered fresh protests as scores of young men defied a curfew in a neighbourhood in Srinagar and threw stones at government forces. Police and paramilitary soldiers fired tear gas to quell the protesters. No injuries were reported.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan, and claimed by both in its entirety. Protesters reject Indian sovereignty over Kashmir and want independence or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.
Last week, Geelani demanded that India accept Kashmir as a disputed territory, withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops from the region and release all political prisoners as a precondition for peace talks.
Meanwhile, security troops struggled to fulfill Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's order last month to staunch the bloodshed in Kashmir by using non-lethal measures to control the violent demonstrations.
At least 69 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since a new round of demonstrations broke out in June. Most of the killings occurred when troops fired directly into the demonstrations.
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