J&K revokes Public Safety Act against Farooq Abdullah, releases him after 6-month detention

Farooq Abdullah is among the first regional leaders against whom the Jammu & Kashmir administration has revoked the PSA.

File image of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah | Photo: ANI

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir administration Friday revoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) charges against former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, six months after it detained him under the controversial law, and ordered his release.

“In exercise of power conferred under section 19(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the Government hereby revokes the detention order bearing DMS/PSA/120?2019 dated 15-09-2019 issued by the District Magistrate, Srinagar, extended for a period of 3 months, vide government order Home /PB-V/668 of 2020 dated 11.03.2020 of Dr Farooq Abdullah s/o Late Sheilh Mohammad Abdullah R/ Gupkar Road Srinagar with immediate effect,” read the order.

A copy of the order was also shared on Twitter by government spokesperson Rohit Kansal.

The Srinagar MP and president of National Conference (NC) party, Abdullah was put under detention at his residence when the central government scrapped Article 370 in August 2019. Abdullah was among dozens of key regional politicians who were detained as a part of the central government’s efforts to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the region losing its special status.

Abdullah, who was first taken into preventive custody on 5 August, was booked under PSA on 15 September 2019 for three months, which was later extended.

Abdullah is among the first regional leaders against whom the Jammu & Kashmir administration has revoked the PSA.

Opposition leaders rally for detained

The move comes days after a joint statement seeking the release of detained Kashmiri politicians was issued by multiple opposition leaders, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee, JDS’ H.D. Deve Gowda, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja.

Apart from Abdullah, the administration had detained two other former chief ministers, NC leader and Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. NC general secretary Ali Mohammad is also booked under the PSA, along with seven other politicians.

The Minister of Home Affairs recently informed Rajya Sabha that authorities had detained 7,357 individuals from J&K since 5 August. Of these, 396 — including politicians, separatists, alleged overground militant workers, stone-pelters, lawyers and activists — have been booked under the PSA while 55 have been arrested under CrPC 107.