IIOJK High Court quashes two PSA detentions over delays, lack of justification
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the High Court has quashed two detention orders issued under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), citing unjustifiable delays and lack of credible justification, and ordered the immediate release of both detainees.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Justice Moksha Kazmi annulled the PSA detentions of Salal Ahmad Ganie of Qaimoh, Kulgam, and Zahid Ahmad Naik of DH Pora, Kulgam. Ganie was detained in May 2019, but the order was not executed until 2024, while Naik was detained in September 2024 for alleged activities dating back to 2019.
In Ganie’s case, the court questioned the five-year delay in executing the PSA, stating that such a delay undermines the very purpose of preventive detention. “It leads one to believe that either the allegations were wholly fabricated or the authorities acted with utter callousness,” the court observed.
Similarly, in Naik’s case, the court noted that the detention order was based on outdated allegations and lacked urgency or legal justification. “The detention order passed in 2024 for alleged activities of 2019 fails the test of timely and preventive action,” the judge said.
Both PSA orders were quashed, and the court directed that the detainees be released immediately.
