Masarat Alam’s release: J&K govt transfers Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar

Masarat Alam

Ten days after the release of Hurriyat hardliner Masarat Alam, the Jammu & Kashmir Government on Sunday shifted its Principal Secretary Home Suresh Kumar to Institute of Management Planning and Public Administration.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed and attended by all the PDP and BJP ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. Kumar was transferred to IMPA as its Director General.

The state government, however, tried to downplay the transfer of Kumar, with Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar saying that his deputation to the Centre was already cleared by the union government. “Since he was scheduled to go to Centre on deputation soon, we wanted to have a full fledged Home Secretary on long term basis,” said Akhtar.

It was during his tenure as Principal Secretary Home that Masarat got released from jail as the department could not approve the order of his detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) by the District Magistrate, Jammu.

In its letter to the District Magistrate on January 4, the Home Department conveyed him that his order of detaining Masarat under PSA could not be approved as the same was received by it 23 days after its issuance instead of the mandatory period of within 12 days.

The non-aporoval of District Magistrate’s order by Home Department led to the release of Masarat Alam from Baramulla jail early this month leaving red faces in BJP at the Centre and in the state.

The release of Hurriyat hardliner, who had been accused of being the architect of 2010 stone pelting leading to the death of 122 people in the valley, was apprehended by police after a four month long hunt and the state government had announced Rs ten lakh award for information about his whereabouts.

His release had led to noisy scenes from opposition benches in both the Houses of Parliament.

Source:: Indian Express