SC quashes detention order against JKLF militant

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court today quashed the order of detention passed by J&K government under the J& K Public Safety Act,1978 against a Kashmir based JKLF militant who has been in jail for last 16 years.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and D K Jain quashed the detention order against the petitioner Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karatey who has 22 FIRs registered against him in the strife torn state.

Dar was arrested in 1990 when he was only 17 years and was acquitted in 2000 by a TADA court but was not released by the state government.

The apex court had quashed detention orders against him in 2004 and later in 2005 but he was still not released by the state as he is considered to be a threat to public peace and tranquillity.

Counsel for the petitioner Bhim Singh told the court during arguments that his client from Agra Jail has expressed desire to maend his ways and has taken a vow to fight for peace and against violence while upholding the integrity and sovereignity of India.

Singh also pleaded that it was a case where the state government has dared to defy the orders of this court and has not released the petitioner till date despite its earlier two orders quashing detention orders.

The detention order was quashed following the failure of the state government to substantiate its allegations against the petitioner.

Under Public Safety Act a person can be detained for two years in jail without trial and bail.

Dar was bailed out in all the 22 cases by the courts in the state.

UNI AKS/SC RP RS1907