PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, detained for more than a year, released

New Delhi, Oct 13: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was on Tuesday released from detention. Mehbooba Mufti being released," JK government spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted.

Mehbooba, who became the first woman chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 as head of the PDP-BJP alliance, was arrested along with other leaders hours ahead of the Centre bifurcating the state into two union territories and abrogating Article 370.

The National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said her detention was a "travesty" and against the "tenets of democracy".

"I'm pleased to hear that Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. Her continued detention was a travesty and was against the basic tenets of democracy. Welcome out Mehbooba," he tweeted.

She was first detained under Sections 107 and 151 of CrPC but later booked under the controversial Public Safety Act.

Initially, Mehbooba was lodged at Cheshma Shahi guest house and then shifted to another government guest house at M A Link Road here. The PDP president was then taken to her residence where she remained under house arrest.

Mehbooba's daughter, Iltija, had challenged her detention in the Supreme Court, which last heard the case on September 29.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers and National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah were released in March after over seven months in detention.