Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday extended the detention of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti by three months under the Public Safety Act.
Mufti was among hundreds of people who were taken into preventive custody hours ahead of the Centre revoking special status of the Jammu and Kashmir and breaking the state into two union territories on August 05 last year.
The current detention order of the former chief minister was expiring on August 05 this year.
According to an order issued by the Home department, Mufti will continue to remain under detention for another three months at her official residence at Fairview Bungalow, which has been declared a subsidiary jail.
Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Home, in an order issued today said that law enforcing agencies have recommended further extension of her detention.
“Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred by section 8(1) (a) (i) read with clause (a) of sub clause sevtion (1) of section 18 of the J&K PSA, 1978 the government hereby directs that the period of detention of Ms Mehbooba Mufti D/o Late Mufti Mohd Sayed R/o Bijbehara A/P Nowgam, Srinagar be extended for a further period of three months and she may be lodged in Subsidiary Jail Fairview Gupkar Road, Srinagar,” reads the order
Most of the other mainstream politicians, including Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, have been released from custody.
Pertinently, the J&K Public Safety Act, 1978 is a preventive detention law, under which a person is taken into custody to prevent him or her from acting in any manner that is prejudicial to “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order”. It is very similar to the National Security Act that is used by other state governments for preventive detention.
The PSA allows for detention of a person without a formal charge and without trial. It can be slapped on a person already in police custody; on someone immediately after being granted bail by a court; or even on a person acquitted by the court. Detention can be up to two years.
