SRINAGAR: To avoid mounting financial burden on the state government, J&K police have decided to shift 31 detained political leaders from central government-run Centaur Lake View Hotel to a private hotel at Shivpora in Srinagar in a couple of days, official sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, the state government was paying a monthly rent of Rs 1.20 crore for the lodging of the detainees in the Centaur, located on the banks of the Dal Lake. The government has so far paid Rs 3.60 crore ever since they were lodged there following the defanging of Article 370 and reorganization of the state into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh on August 5.
Considering the financial aspect, it was decided to shift them to local hotel Lemon Tree at Shivpora near the army headquarters, they said.
Among the detainees to be shifted are Sajjad Lone of Peoples Conference (PC), Ali Mohammad Sagar of National Conference (NC), Sagars son Salman and Naem Akhtar of PDP.
The authorities had established a subsidiary jail for the 31 political leaders in Centaur after they were detained on August 5.
The sources further said, the government has booked for four months hotel Lemon Tree, which would now be designated as subsidiary jail for the 31 detainees.
The authorities have detained these political leaders under CrPC Section 107 (security for keeping the peace) in a bid to prevent them from disturbing law and order in the state in the wake of Parliaments Article 370 move.
The sources said the government would also consider releasing these political leaders one by one after the implementation of the presidential order on the August 5 decision on November 1.
The J&K administration had on October 2 ended house arrest of almost all political leaders from Jammu. However, prominent leadeRead More – Source
