Srinagar: Pro-freedom leader and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Muhammad Yasin Malik was assaulted and later detained by the police on Saturday in Khanyar area of Srinagar while he was on way to Nowhatta to take part in a protest rally called by the Joint Resistance Leadership of which he is a part including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, reports said.

Mirwaiz, who tweeted the footage of his arrest, condemned the “police assault and manhandling of Malik”.

Strongly condemn police assault, manhandling and arrest of JKLF chief #YasinMalik by police when he was on way to #JamaMasjid to take part in a peaceful protest against unabated killings of Youth ,use of force on student and continuous illegal arrests of leaders by NIA pic.twitter.com/zyXMx2DUp7

— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) April 28, 2018

A JKLF spokesman said that police stopped the vehicle of Malik near Gousia hospital Khanyar.

He said that police abused Malik and assaulted him. “JKLF chairman objected to his misbehavior and asked him (police officer) to show some restraint but there was no stopping to his hooliganism,” he said.

The spokesman said Malik was injured in police action.

“Malik sahab and another JKLF leader Bashir Kashmiri have been shifted to police station Kothibagh,” he said.