Srinagar: The High Court has given four weeks to the J&K Union Territory (UT) administration to file a counter affidavit to a plea challenging the detention of senior advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga under Public Safety Act (PSA).
Hearing a writ of habeas corpus seeking release of Ronga from preventive detention, Justice Puneet Gupta listed the matter for next hearing on November 20 and asked the UT administration to file counter affidavit within four weeks.
Ronga, the former president of J&K High Court Bar Association, was detained in July 2024 at his Srinagar residence under the PSA. This Act is a preventive detention law under which a person can be incarcerated without a trial.
The petition filed by Ronga’s wife, Bilquees Ronga, requested the High Court for release of Ronga, stating through advocate BA Khan that the authorities did not follow the mandate of law enshrined by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the DK Basu case when they arrested Ronga.
The petitioner lady stated that the allegations leading to Ronga’s detention are unfounded, fabricated, and malicious.
At the time of his arrest, the family was not informed that he was being detained under the Act. The arrival of a police team as well as the detention of Ronga was captured on CCTV at his home.
The order of his detention had been passed by the District Magistrate, Srinagar on July 10 to “prevent Ronga from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance and security of the State”.
The petition filed by Ronga’s wife seeks his immediate release and compensation of ₹60 lakhs on the ground that he was illegally detained and tortured.
The matter was first heard on September 11 by a bench comprising Justice Sanjay Dhar wherein three weeks were granted to the administration to file its response.
In 2019, Ronga was one of several senior lawyers detained under the PSA, a day before the Article 370 was abrogated by the Government of India.
The petitioner claims that Ronga was unlawfully detained and subjected to torture, which violated his fundamental rights to life and liberty.
The petition asserts that the detention has damaged Ronga’s professional reputation and prospects, warranting compensation.
“Ronga was detained by police at his Srinagar residence at 1:10 AM on July 11 and initially held at Nishat police station before being moved to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. His family was not informed of the detention” says the petition.
