Srinagar: Writing a letter to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu, DP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti requested him to release all detainees including her mother as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in India.
According to India Today, in her letter to Murmu, Iltija Mufti said, “As you’re aware, thousands of Kashmiris including my mother Ms Mufti, ex-Chief Minister J&K have been jailed since August 5. As the world prepares to battle the deadly COVID (already declared a global pandemic by WHO), India in all likelihood has entered Stage 3 in which the virus spreads through community transmission. J&K has already reported 4 cases & the numbers will go up exponentially in the coming weeks.”
Saying that overcrowded jails and lack of healthcare make detainees highly vulnerable to the deadly contagion, Iltija added that it could cause even bigger problems for senior citizens who are above 65.
Ms Mufti said that there are hundreds of senior citizens from the Valley battling multiple ailments across jails in the country. She said, some of these detainees come from humble families where the members haven’t been able to afford a single trip to visit their sons and brothers lodged in jails outside Kashmir.
Saying that you can well imagine their anxiety & concern in the wake of COVID pandemic, Iltija requested the Jammu and Kashmir LG to release all detainees immediately and all them to return home.
Pointing out that USA is also releasing jail inmates, Iltija wonders why GOI is reluctant to free detainees jailed for the past 8 months on trumped-up charges.