29 sep:The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a plea seeking the release of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has been under detention since August 5 last year, when the Centre revoked the special status of the erstwhile state, reported news agency ANI.
The habeas corpus petition, filed by Mufti’s daughter Iltija, earlier this month challenges her mother’s detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA). The former CM is currently lodged in her Gupkar home, which has been turned into a sub-jail, where she was shifted on April 27.
Iltija submitted that the detention of Mufti is based on vague and slanderous ground demonstrating personal and political bias against her. It was contended that the detention order of February 5 against Mufti was founded upon a dossier prepared by the Superintendent of Police, Srinagar which itself was replete personal remarks against Mufti and in bad taste.
“The detention order is wholly based on the dossier which is slanderous, libelous and clearly demonstrative of the political and personal bias against the detenu (Mehbooba Mufti)”, the Habeas Corpus petition stated.
The term Habeas Corpus literally translates to “produce the body” and it is a plea seeking directions to be issued to the government to produce a detained person before the court and to release such person if the detention is found to be illegal.
Mufti has been under detention since August 5, 2019 when the Central government nullified Article 370 and placed the Kashmir valley in a state of lockdown.
She had been in custody for six months and her detention was set to expire in February 2020 when a new detention order was issued on February 5 under the PSA which allows the administration to detain a person without trial for a maximum period of two years.
