Police on Thursday arrested separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik here after they tried to stage a protest.

The three were scheduled to hold a joint press conference at Geelani's residence for which the authorities denied them permission.

The separatist leaders were taken into preventive custody and shifted to the Humhama police station in Badgam district.

Informed sources said the press conference had been scheduled by the separatist leaders to call for a boycott of the forthcoming by-elections to the Lok Sabha in the state.