Teachers of Shopian school booked under PSA

Three teachers of a religious school in Shopian district of south Kashmir were arrested Monday under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly spreading hatred while teaching. Also, one of its alumni Sajad Bhat is an accused in the February 2019 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama district that leftover 40 personnel dead.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police has booked three teachers of a religious school in south Kashmir's Shopian district under Public Safety Act (PSA) after few of its students and alumni were found involved in militant related activities, officials said on Monday.

Police officials said the three were booked under the PSA -- which allows authorities to detain a person for up to two years without a trial -- after it came to the fore that some of the school's students and alumni were involved in militant activities.

"The school, Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom Imam Sahab, is affiliated with the banned organisation Jamaat-e-Islami. It was under surveillance after it came to the fore that few of its alumni were involved in anti-national and militant activities. Following which three of its teachers have been booked under PSA," Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir zone, said during a press conference in Srinagar.

He further said, "Around six more teachers of the school are still under surveillance (under Section 107 CrPC). Presently, we are taking action against individuals and if the need arises the action will be taken against the school too."

The school mainly has students from Kulgam, Pulwama and Anantnag districts of South Kashmir, considered by intelligence agencies to be the hotbeds of militancy and breeding grounds for local recruits in various terror groups.

Interestingly, the school came under the radar of investigating agencies after 13 of its students were found to have joined militant ranks. Also, one of its alumni Sajad Bhat is an accused in the February 2019 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama district that leftover 40 personnel dead.