SC judge recuses self from hearing plea challenging Omar Abdullah’s detention

New Delhi, Feb 12: Supreme Court Judge Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar on Wednesday recused himself from hearing Sara Abdullah Pilot's plea challenging continued detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah under the Public Safety Act.

The top court said the plea challenging detention of Omar Abdullah under the PSA would be heard on Thursday.

The government had slapped the PSA on Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, two former chief ministers of the state.

A dossier prepared by the police on Omar Abdullah says that the capacity of the subject to influence the people for any cause can be gauged from the fact that he was able to convince the electorate to come out and vote in huge numbers even during the peak of militancy and poll boycotts.

The dossier accused Abdullah of trying to stoke public anger to trigger violent protests. Despite the fact that the subject has been a mainstream politician, he has been planning activities against the Union of India under the guise of politics. While enjoying the support of gullible masses, he has been successful in execution of such activities, the dossier also says.

In the aftermath of Article 370 being abrogated, Abdullah removed all covers/curtains and while resorting to dirty politics adopted a radical methodology by way of instigating general makes against the policies of the Central Government, the dossier further reads.