Detentions of 6 under PSA quashed

Srinagar, Nov 4: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the detention of six persons arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for their alleged involvement in militancy.

The High Court ordered their release on petitions filed by the detenues challenging their arrest under the PSA.

One of the detenue Inayatullah Lone, a resident of Anantnag, whose release the high court has ordered, was suffering from cancer.

The Lone's consel pleading before the court said troops of the Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and SOG in a joint operation arested Lone on February 18, 2006 without any justification.

However, on March 3, the Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag recommended to Deputy Commissioner (DC) that he should be booked under the PSA for his alleged involvement in the militancy.

The DC accepted the recommendations and booked Lone under PSA for two years.

The counsel informed the court that Lone was ill when he was taken into custody but he was not provided with any medical care leading to deterioration of his health.

The detainee was, however, examined by the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura and was diagnosed with last stage cancer.

The court taking serious view of the case ordered his immediate release.

The court has also quashed the detention of Sheraz Ahmad Parray, Mohammad Qasim Baigh, Mohammad Yousuf Sheikh, Wahid Ahmad Khan and Mohamamd Ashraf Khanday.

UNI