Chidambaram 'happy' after J&K admin says Saifuddin Soz is a free man

Expressing his happiness for Congress leader Saifuddin Soz, former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said "freedom can be won in many ways".

His remarks came after the Jammu and Kashmir administration submitted before the Supreme Court today that Soz was neither detained nor put under house arrest after the Article 370 abrogation on August 5 last year.

"Freedom can be won in many ways. We are happy that Mr Soz is a free man," Chidambaram tweeted

"Freedom at last after one year for Mr Saifuddin Soz, Congress leader, in Kashmir. After not responding to demands and letters protesting the 'house arrest', the government told the SC today that Mr Soz was never placed under house arrest!" he said in another tweet.

Earlier in the day, a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra, while hearing the habeas corpus plea of Soz's wife Mumtazunnisa seeking her husband's release, closed the matter saying in view of the affidavit filed by Jammu and Kashmir administration there is nothing left to examine further.

In the affidavit, the Home department of Jammu and Kashmir denied the contentions of Soz's wife and said that the former union minister was never under any kind of restraint and that he was always free to move.

Soz's wife had approached the top court seeking the release of her husband who had allegedly been under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.