SRINAGAR: A prominent religious cleric, Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, who is presently languishing in jail in a terror funding case, has decided to contest the upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir as an independent candidate.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the family of Sarjan has filed the nomination papers today at Deputy Commissioner’s office Shopian.
Sugra Barkati, daughter of Barkati said that they have already conducted a meeting with locals in Reban, the native village of Barkati and have filed his nomination papers today.
She said that when their father was in jail, her mother used to take care of them but now she is also in jail, thus they are facing a difficult situation in absence of their parents.
Sugra further said that as her father had given sacrifices, people of Zainapora segment will also give sacrifice for him by voting in his favour.
Barkati, who was the face of the 2016 agitation after the killing of Hizb Commander Burhan Wani, was arrested on October 01, 2016 and was released in October 2020.
He was later rearrested by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in August last year in a terror funding case and is still under custody. Later, his wife was also arrested.