NC leader Akbar Lone’s son booked under PSA

Tribune News Service

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Srinagar, February 10

The J&K Administration has slapped Public Safety Act (PSA) against Hilal Lone, son of National Conference MP Mohammad Akbar Lone, officials said on Monday.

Hilal was under preventive detention since August 7 last year, when the Centre announced the abrogation of the erstwhile J&K state’s special status besides its bifurcation into two UTs.

He was booked under the PSA on February 7.

“You being probable MLA candidate of the NC is a potential threat to the public peace and tranquility as you belong to the party (NC), whose manifesto is to agitate against the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India. Being the poster boy of the NC and son of a senior party leader you will find it easy to exploit innocent people and instigate them to agitate and protest against J&K,” read the grounds of detention against Hilal.

The detention order accessed by The Tribune reveals that Hilal has to be booked under the PSA otherwise he may cause diplomatic embarrassment to the country around the world.

“Your preventive detention under Sections 107/151 of the CrPC is going to expire soon and there is a possibility that after your release, you will likely organise a mass agitation by provoking and instigating people against the Centre’s decision to implement J&K Reorganisation Act-2019, which can result in huge loss to life and property and may cause diplomatic embarrassment to the country around the world,” it said.

Under the PSA, a person can be detained without a trial up to one year.

Nearly, 350 politicians were detained in the run-up to the decision. Over two dozen politicians have been released since November 25.