In a defamation suit filed by chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, a lower Court here has summoned the three officials of a Delhi based English News paper including its managing director with a direction for their personal appearance before the court here on June 16.Geelani had filed a defamation suit against the Delhi based newspaper after a news report appeared in it on 14 March 2014 in wherein it was mentioned that “Geelani have nominated his son as his successor and when Geelani was leaving to New Delhi for treatment on 13 March 2014, he was driven to the tarmac and taken towards the aircraft on a wheel chair but the 84 year old leader surprisingly climbed up the stairs of the plane without any support”.According to a statement issued, Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar said that on behalf of Geelani his counsels Advocate M. Shafi Reshi and Advocate Sadiq Parray had filed a defamation suit before the Judicial Magistrate first class sub registrar Srinagar against the said news paper.
When the court asked for Geelani to record his statement, it was told that he is under house arrest and the police are not allowing him to move out of his home due to which he can’t attend the court hearing. After hearing this, the concerned Judge ordered DC Srinagar to record the statement of Geelani at his residence.DC Srinagar appointed Tehsildar South for this and the government officer came to Hyderpora and recorded a detailed statement of Geelani.According to the spokesman when the statement of Geelani was presented in the court by the administration, the Judge after having its detailed examination, issued summons to the managing Director of the newspaper Veniet Jain, Editor Jay Deep Bose and its Srinagar correspondent and the three officials have been ordered to present themselves before the court on June 16, 2014. Akbar said that neither have Geelani appointed any successor nor has he any such plan in future. “Tehreek-e-Hurriyat the organization of Geelani has its own constitutions and modes operandi and according to this the selection of Chairman in this organization is done through the secret vote of workers and activists. This organization doesn’t have any concept of successor nor does it follow the tradition of thrusting any decision upon its activists and workers. The selection of the Chairman in Tehreek-e-Hurriyat is done after every three years by the secret votes of activists and members and no one present himself as a Chairman candidate at that occasion and the activists and members are free to select any person within the organization for the post of Chairman, who in-front of them is the most God fearing, God conscious and intellectual personality,” Akbar clarified.