Plea challenging J&K Public Safety Act filed in SC

A plea challenging Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, under which several political leaders and activists have been detained since the abrogation of Article 370, was filed on Thursday.

The petition filed by Bhim Singh, Chief Patron of J&K National Panthers Party and Executive Chairman of State Legal Aid Committee, termed the Act as dead and "ultra vires" (beyond the legal power).

Singh, who is also a senior advocate, has sought directions declaring the J&K Public Safety Act, 1978 as invalid law which was enacted by Jammu & Kashmir Legislature in 1978 by virtue of the exclusive jurisdiction of J&K under Article 35-A.

According to the petition, more than 600 political activists have been detained for more than six months under the draconian and dead law which had lost its existence the day President of India abrogated Article 35-A from Chapter-III of the Indian Constitution.

The plea has sought directions to release all the detenus who were detained on or before August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, and who have completed more than three months in detention without trial in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir