Date:15/12/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/12/15/stories/2002121504460800.htm

National

J&K MLA seeks release of Geelani

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 14. The Jammu and Kashmir legislator, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, has called for the release of the Kashmir Times journalist, Iftikar Geelani, in the light of the fact that the Directorate of Military Intelligence, on reconsideration of the documents found in Mr. Geelani's possession, saw no evidence to substantiate the case against him under the Official Secrets Act.

In a statement today, Mr. Tarigami said that in the report to R.S. Gupta, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Directorate of Military Intelligence, in a report on December 12, had clearly stated that the documents found in Mr. Geelani's possession were of "negligible security value''.

It also said that its earlier adverse report was an "erroneous overestimate of the sensitivity of the documents.''

A copy of this letter was also sent to Neeraj Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (Intelligence).

The document referred to by Mr. Tarigami was placed before the District and Sessions Judge, Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, on Friday by Mr. Geelani's counsel, as proof that the police had fabricated an adverse report which they claimed was from the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

The report that the police had produced in court was a letter signed by an Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Home and addressed to Mr. Kumar, which reproduced an earlier Army report.