Another radical cleric arrested in J&K's Shopian

Srinagar, Sep 17 (IANS) Police in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday arrested Sarjan Barkati, a radical religious preacher, three days after two other radical clerics were apprehended under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

Barkati's family members told the media that he was arrested Saturday morning and they were told that he has been booked under the PSA.

Barkati was known as 'Freedom Chacha' because of delivering anti-national and pro-terrorist speeches in the wake of the killing of Hizbul poster boy Burhan Wani in July 2016.

The preacher was recently been released after four years of detention under the PSA.

Earlier, two other radical clerics, Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri and Abdul Rashid Dawoodi were booked and arrested under the PSA by police.

Intelligence agencies allege that these radical preachers have stoked passions against the state and in favour of terrorism by trying to motivate youth to resort to violence.

"Speeches delivered by these clerics from time to time stand witness to their anti-India and pro-terrorist preachings", said an intelligence officer here.