Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police Monday announced that cattle smugglers in the union territory will now be booked under the stringent Public Safety Act, a law that allows the detention of individuals without trial for upto two years.
The announcement was made by Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, who said he has directed his forces to use the law against habitual offenders in cattle smuggling and drug peddling cases. The PSA in J&K has mostly been used against individuals suspected of separatist activities.
“He (DGP) directed the district SSP to make strong cases against the identified individuals who are habitual offenders in drug peddling and bovine smuggling. The process of registering and challaning such cases should be on fast-track and the culprits booked under Public Safety Act (PSA),” read a police statement.
“The Director General of Police Dilbag Singh… said that besides fighting terrorism, the police has to ensure that other crimes are under check, and cases of social crime, bovine smuggling, drug peddling etc must be registered and investigated professionally.”
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The PSA has been considered a controversial state law under which individuals can booked without a trial for upto two years. The law was initially introduced to book timber smugglers in Kashmir but was gradually applied to book and arrest individuals associated with the separatist movement, stone-pelters and suspected militants.
The law has been in the news since 5 August when hundreds of people, including businessmen, politicians, lawyers and activists in Kashmir, were booked under the PSA after the Modi government’s decision to scrap Article 370 and bifurcate the J&K into two union territories.
Sources said that this year, more than 600 individuals have been booked under PSA, which was one of the laws retained even after the invalidation of J&K’s Constitution. Police sources said nearly 350 individuals have been booked under PSA since 5 August, including Srinagar MP and former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah.
Abdullah’s custody under PSA was extended last week by three months.
Peoples Democratic Party spokesperson Firdous Tak termed the J&K police as part of a project to “oppress Muslims”.
“This move should be seen as part of a larger ongoing oppression on Muslims of India,” said Ta.
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In a way, an acknowledgement that the criminal justice system is not working, it is not possible to secure convictions by bringing wrongdoers to trial. These drastic measures presuppose a completely incorruptible police force.