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Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal on Thursday, 30 July, denied Congress leader Saifuddin Soz’s allegations that he was still under house arrest, pointing out that Soz had been to Delhi twice.
Earlier, Soz had told The Hindu that he had been to Delhi twice, but for medical purposes and with permission.
According to The Indian Express, the Supreme Court on Wednesday had disposed of his wife’s plea, in which she had claimed that he was illegally detained, after the government told the court that he had never been detained or put under house arrest.
“The government lied to the Supreme Court,” Soz had shouted from inside his house, according to The Hindu.
A video that surfaced on Thursday showed Saifuddin Soz scaling a wall of his Srinagar residence to inform the press that he is still “under house arrest without any formal orders.”
Meanwhile, the police personnel stationed at his residence continued warning him against doing so, and later, they forced him down. While Soz was being pulled down, he could be heard repeatedly asking the cops to keep their hands off him.
The former Union minister also told The Hindu that he could not venture out without police permission.
Soz also reportedly stated that he was denied permission on multiple occasions.
The Congress, however, reportedly maintained that he had faith in the twin Constitutions of India and Jammu and Kashmir.
He also told The Hindu that Kashmir was the only place in India where expressing ideas was not permitted.
Soz expressed surprise over that fact that the Supreme Court allowed more than a month's time to the government even though his wife’s petition was habeas corpus. He also said that he was surprised at how SC accepted “what was told to it”.
According to The Hindu, the J&K administration had told the apex court that Soz “is free and not under detention”.
Referring to Soz as a “categorised protectee”, the J&K administration said that “no restriction whatsoever has been placed on (his) movement”, reported The Indian Express.
The bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Vineet Saran and MR Shah accepted the administration’s statement and disposed of the petition.
Sharing an NDTV clip, Saifuddin’s son Salman Anees Soz asked the people to urge the Supreme Court to uphold the law.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and The Hindu.)
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