Delhi HC seeks response from Centre regarding Shah Faesal's plea

New Delhi, Sep 03: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Central government on a plea by detained bureaucrat-turned politician Shah Faesal, from Srinagar, to provide him with the copy of the lookout circular issued against him.

Reportedly, a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked both sides to file their submissions before 2 September and listed it for hearing on September 3 in the case.

The advocate representing Faesal, said they do not know the grounds on which the lookout circular (LOC) was issued.

The advocate also added that the lookout circular can only prevent Faesal from travelling but cannot justify his arrest and detention, which was "malafide" on the part of the central government.

Faesal had moved Delhi HC last week with a petition that challenged his detention at the Indira Gandhi International Airport under The Public Safety Act. The plea said the manner in which he was "whisked away" to Kashmir without even a transit remand amounts to "abduction".

The petition has contended that he was scheduled to travel to Boston, US, via Istanbul and Frankfurt when he was detained at Delhi airport.

It said he was travelling to the US to complete his course in Masters in Public Administration when he was "illegally picked up" from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government through an affidavit filed in the HC in response to Faesal's habeas corpus petition said he "instigated" people gathered at the Srinagar airport against the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

The former bureaucrat from Jammu and Kashmir had floated a political outfit -- J&K Peoples Movement party -- after resigning from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

Post the removal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, provided under Article 370, Faesal had said Kashmir is experiencing an "unprecedented" lockdown and its eight million population "incarcerated" like never before.