Masrat Alam shifted to Srinagar police station

After placing hardline separatist leader Masrat Alam under house arrest, authorities shifted him to a police station in Srinagar, police said on Friday.

On Thursday night, authorities placed hardline separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Masrat Alam under house arrest to prevent them from participating in a separatist called rally in Kashmir's Tral town on Friday.

While Geelani was placed under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence, Alam was put under house arrest at his Zaindar Mohalla residence in old Srinagar city.

"Alam continues to be under preventive detention. We have shifted him to Shaheedgunj police station in the morning to maintain law and order situation," a senior police officer told IANS.

However, it is not known immediately whether the detention is a temporary step to prevent Alam's participation in separatist rally or a prelude to his re-arrest under the Public Safety Act.

On March 7, the Jammu and Kashmir government released Alam from preventive detention after more than four years.

He was arrested during the 2010 unrest in the Kashmir Valley. He was accused of inciting youth during the unrest in which at least 112 people were killed in clashes between mobs and security forces.