Farooq, Omar Abdullah file petitions challenging 'illegal house detention' of 16 party colleagues
Jul 13, 2020
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 13 : Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Party President Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday filed a habeas corpus petition in the High Court challenging the "unconstitutional and illegal house detention" of 16 party leaders and functionaries.
As per the statement issued from party headquarters, Dr Farooq Abdullah has filed a petition for the release of Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Nasir Aslam Wani, Aga Syed Mehmood, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Irfan Shah and Sahmeema Firdous from illegal house detention while Omar Abdullah is challenging the detention of Mohammad Shafi Uri, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Mubarak Gul, Dr Bashir Veeri, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Basharat Bukhari, Saifudin Bhat Shutru, Mohammad Shafi through their counsel Adv Shariq Reyaz.
Party's Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the decision to move to the court has been taken as a last resort to provide relief to various party members who have continuously been under house arrest or were kept under house detention after being shifted there from detention centres.
"Shifting of the detainees from detention centres to their homes only characterized revolving-door detention practice. Quashing of the PSA on Party General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar underscored the indefensible nature of all detentions in the court of law, leading us to believe that the administration will release all the detainees in the absence of any convincing reason behind it. Unfortunately, that was not to be. The house detentions without any administrative orders are unlawful, undermining due respect to human rights and individual liberty," he said.
Hoping that the court will come to the rescue of our colleagues, Dar said these leaders under house detention have been suffering for no fault ever since the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and Article 35 A on August 5, 2019. "This was the only recourse left to us. We are hopeful that the court will uphold the civil liberties of our colleagues most of whom have not been keeping well," he said.
