Geelani detained for 4-hrs in Delhi, to return home on March 3

Srinagar: Chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was arrested from airport in New Delhi by the local police as he was heading home along with his son Tuesday. After quizzing Geelani for four hours in connection to the alleged hawala links, the veteran leader was later released but he had already missed the flight and will now return to Kashmir Valley on March 03, spokesman of the pro-self determination amalgam, Aiyaz Akhbar said. He said that as soon as Syed Ali Geelani arrived at the airport to board flight back to the Valley, a police contingent arrived at the scene and whisked away the octogenarian to Lodhi Garden police station.  “Geelani sahib had told police to record his statement at his Malaviya Nagar residence and not at the police station. He had also given time for this morning but the police did not turn up and later arrested him at the airport,” Akbar said.   He said after barring him to return home today, the veteran leader would arrive here on March 03. The spokesman while condemning the police action said that it exposes the claims that Geelani was ‘completely free’. “All this is being done to defame Geelani Sahib and to pressurize him to join dialogue process.”  Rejecting the claims of the Hurriyat Conference (G) that its chairman had been detained in New Delhi on 19 February, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said the Geelani was “completely free and takes his morning walks.” The ailing leader had gone to New Delhi for treatment in January 23 and was expected to arrive here earlier this month. However, the police on February 19 had barred him from leaving the capital and had stated that he would be allowed to return after recording his statement in the alleged Hawala case.