After public outcry, the police on Wednesday said they released the Ganderbal trader who was arrested for making remarks that he had more expectations from local officers than the non-locals during a public meeting with Lieutenant Governor’s adviser Baseer Ahmad Khan on June 10.
“Sajad Rashid Sofi, trader and political activist of Ganderbal’s Safapora, has been released,” a police official said.
The National Conference, the CPI(M) and the Peoples Conference had sought the intervention of L-G Manoj Sinha and demanded his immediate release.
The police booked Mr. Sofi, 50, under Section 153-A (promoting enmity) for his remarks made in front of Deputy Commissioner Krittika Jyotsna, IAS. He was jailed again despite being granted bail on June 12 and booked under Sections 107 and 105 of the IPC.
The political parties termed his arrest as “abuse of power”.
