HC receives 175 petitions from detained protesters

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 25

With the J&K Government taking tough measures to quell the ongoing unrest, the High Court has so far received nearly 175 petitions from those people booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). These include pleas from protesters, stone-throwers and political activists from different parts of the Valley.

Since the Kashmir valley plunged into an unrest following the July 8 killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, hundreds of civilians, mostly youths and political activists associated with the Hurriyat Conference and its affiliates, have been rounded up by the law enforcement agencies. Most of them have been booked under the PSA.

During the Assembly session in June this year, the J&K Government had admitted that “a total of 133 persons were arrested under the provisions of the PSA and other Acts in 2015.” Out of these, 80 people were released or deported while 53 were still in jails, it further admitted.

“Since August 28, nearly 175 fresh habeas corpus petitions have been filed before the High Court by the relatives and the lawyers on behalf of those booked under the PSA during the ongoing turmoil,” an official, who tracks the habeas corpus petitions filed before the High Court in Srinagar, told The Tribune.

The PSA provides for arresting and jailing a person on a mere suspicion that he/she may disrupt law and order in the state or may act in a manner prejudicial to the security of the state.

“In these petitions, the lawyers or the relatives have sought quashing of the PSA detention orders on various grounds, ranging from charges being frivolous, motivated, non-application of mind etc. Besides, from the contents of the petitions, it appears, most of the detentions have been carried out during the current phase of the unrest,” the official said.

According to one estimate, over 3,500 people have so far been arrested by the police from various parts of the Kashmir valley. Of these, more than 300 have been booked and detained under the Public Safety Act.

In fact, police sources said a separate list of about 250 people was being prepared, which included mostly government employees and teachers, who law enforcement and intelligence agencies believe took part or instigated the protests. “At present, the antecedents of these persons named in the list are being ascertained and in all likelihood, these people may be slapped with the PSA”, the sources said.