Indian Court Orders Release of Three Detainees Held Under Public Safety Act

In a significant legal development, the High Court of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has ordered the release of three individuals who were detained under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA). The court deemed their detentions unlawful, citing “vague and unspecific grounds” for their incarceration.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Justice Sanjay Dhar presided over the cases and quashed the detention orders against Umer Kabir Mir from Pulwama, Abdul Ahad alias Ahad Molvi from Baramulla, and Muhammad Iqbal Koka from Islamabad district. Each of these individuals had been detained through separate orders issued by local district magistrates over the past year.

Mir was held under an order issued by the District Magistrate of Pulwama on May 12, 2023. Similarly, Molvi was detained based on an order dated April 4, 2024, from the District Magistrate of Baramulla, while Koka had been taken into custody through an order passed by the District Magistrate of Islamabad on January 1, 2023.

The High Court’s ruling emphasized the lack of substantial justification for the detentions, highlighting the arbitrary use of the PSA, which has long been criticized by human rights organizations. The court directed the authorities to release the detainees immediately unless they were required in connection with other legal cases.

The verdict raises renewed concerns about the misuse of draconian laws in the region and underscores the need for judicial scrutiny in cases involving fundamental rights. The decision has been welcomed by human rights advocates, who view it as a small but crucial step toward upholding justice in the conflict-ridden region.