Srinagar, Jan 17 (IANS): Four former legislators including a former minister were released by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday as part of the ongoing exercise to free detainees. They were under house arrest since August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two union territories.

The four freed leaders included Haji Abdul Rasheed, Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, Mohammad Abbas Wani and former minister Abdul Haq Khan.

On Thursday five political leaders were released, including National Conference leaders Altaf Kaloo, Showkat Ganaie and Salman Sagar, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders Nizamuddin Bhat and Mukhtar Bandh. Salman Sagar is a former mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

With the release of the four leaders, there are 21 leaders in detention in the valley presently. These include three former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehboob Mufti.

Farooq Abdullah has been retained in his house on the Gupkar Road in Srinagar, which has been designated as a sub-jail. Omar Abdullah is detained in the Hari Niwas and Mehbooba Mufti at a government bungalow on the Maulana Residency road in Srinagar.

A total of 35 mainstream politicians were moved from the Srinagar based Centaur hotel to the MLA hostel in the city in November last year.

Last Friday, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana had ordered the union territory administration to review all curbs that have been in place for over 161 days in Jammu and Kashmir.