Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s sister Sara Abdullah Pilot on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging his detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) and asked for his immediate release.
Sara in a petition moved by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal said her brother’s detention is a grave violation of his constitutional rights including freedom of speech and movement. The plea was mentioned before a bench headed by Justice NV Ramana.
The petition contends that his detention is politically motivated and is a part of concerted effort to muzzle all political rivals. Mere opposition to the policy of the Central government is being projected as against national interest to justify the detention, claims petition.
The government has cited that the 49-year old politician’s popularity among masses and his ability to convince electorates to vote in large numbers even during the peak of militancy in the valley.
Omar Abdullah has been under detention under section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) since August 5 without charges–the day government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. His six month period of detention was supposed to end last Friday, but fresh detention orders under the PSA were issued against Abdullah and former CM of J&K Mehbooba Mufti before the expiry of detention.