‘Detention Can’t Be Forever’: SC on Mehbooba Mufti Case
Top court stated that it too wants to know how long can these detentions continue.
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 29 September, declined to grant permission to Mehbooba Mufti for attending party meetings, and it asked the J&K authorities to respond to Iltija Mufti’s fresh plea, challenging the detention of her mother Mehbooba Mufti under the Public Safety Act.
The top court stated that it, too, wants to know how long can these detentions continue.
“Detention can't be forever. We are putting you to caution that how long can detention be. We also want to know from the government how long these detentions continue. These will be our queries,” the apex court told Solicitor General of India (SG) Tushar Mehta.
The Court also asked SG Tushar Mehta to file the reply within a week to the amended application filed by Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti.
Meanwhile, SG Tushar Mehta sought some time and said, that the Court will be addressed on these issues within a week. The Supreme Court has fixed the matter for further hearing on 15 October.
Taking to Twitter, Iltija Mufti said, “ Not surprised that Ms Mufti’s habeas is being dragged on endlessly. A serious matter like illegal abrogation of Article 370 has been pending for over a year so one cant help but feel despondent.”
The application filed by Iltija Mufti before the Supreme Court states: “The amendment sought is to include grounds of challenge and additional prayers for challenging the orders of confirmation (dated 26 February) and subsequent extensions (5 May and 31 July ) of the detention order (of Mehbooba) impugned in the writ petition,” News18 reported.
The top court has also granted permission to Iltija Mufti and her uncle to meet their mother Mehbooba Mufti in detention.
Mehbooba Mufti, Chief of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was detained on the eve of the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into Union Territories on 5 August 2019.
(With inputs from News18 and PTI)
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