Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is not under house arrest, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Friday. “We have neither arrested him nor is he under the house arrest,” Sinha told BBC Hindi in an interview.

Noting that the father of the Mirwaiz was killed in an unfortunate incident, he said that police was placed around the separatist leader’s house for his protection.

“Even in 2019, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not detained under the PSA. He is neither arrested nor detained. He must decide what he wants to do,” Sinha added.