JK Assembly adjourned for 30 mins following uproar

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Pandemonium on Monday broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition PDP to discuss the death of a NC worker allegedly in police custody.

PDP members demanded suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the matter which agitated the treasury benches who also took to their feet.

In the course of the heated exchange, Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone and PDP MLA Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain traded charges against each other. An agitated Speaker took strong exception to Hussain's charges.

Following the uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House for half-an-hour.

Syed Mohammad Yousuf (55), a NC worker from south Kashmir's Anantnag district, died allegedly in police custody on September 29 after two fellow party workers had accused him of taking Rs 1.18 crore from them for getting them berths in the Legislative Council.

According to the government version, the accused was summoned to the camp office of the Chief Minister where he was confronted with the allegation about taking money. Yousuf had admitted to taking money after which he was handed over to IGP Crime Branch for further investigation.

However, he complained of nausea while on way to the Crime Branch office. He was taken to a hospital where he died of cardiac arrest, the government version said. The state government had ordered an inquiry by a High Court judge into the circumstances leading to Yousuf's death.

The PDP has demanded the resignation of Omar, Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani and Union Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah pending a judicial probe into the NC's worker death.

The PDP on Sunday also decided to move an adjournment motion in the Assembly to discuss the situation arising out of the alleged custodial death.

Yousuf's family has demanded a CBI probe into his death.