Srinagar 18 November (KNB): The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday directed the government to release Separatist Leader Masarat Aalam Bhat, maintaining that the detention order against him has outlived its life.
Hearing an appeal, seeking quashing of the judgment of Writ Court whereby Aalam’s detention was upheld in 2018, a division bench of Justice Saneev Kumar and Justice Rajnesh Oswal issued the direction after noticing that the detention order against Bhat has outlived its life and the writ petition has become infructuous.
According to reports, court while closing the appeal of Aalam noted that a person can be detained under Public Safety Act only for a period of maximum 2 years and the detention of detenue-Aalam has expired and become infructuous as perusal of record reveals that no fresh detention is in force against the detenu.
The District Magistrate in J&K’s Kupwara district had ordered his preventive detention under the PSA on 14th November 2017.
Pertinently, Masarat Alam holds the unenviable record of having been detained under the harsh Public Safety Act (PSA) 36 times. (KNB)