Srinagar: Police today (Feb 29, 2004) decided to put Hurriyat Conference chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari under house arrest as he was planning to take out a Tazia (mourning) procession in connection with Muharram but the Shiite leader managed to give them a slip.

Senior police officials of the city descended on Ansari's Nawakadal residence to inform him about the house arrest but the Hurriyat chairman had left early morning to attend a religious function, a spokesman of the leader said.

Ansari has since been untraceable, as he has left his mobile telephone at his residence and his family refused to divulge the leader's whereabouts.

The State Government has banned this year's Muharram processions in view of security risks but Ansari has decided to go ahead with his plans.

Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir) Khursheed Ganai said that the processions on eighth day (today) and tenth day (Tuesday) of Muharram have been banned as there was a perceptible risk that militants might attack the processions to disturb peace in the city.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed lifted the ban on all religious processions and gatherings last year in an attempt to improve the overall situation in the State. Muharram and Milad processions were taken out last year in the State after a gap of over 10 years.