Jammu and Kashmir High Court Expresses Displeasure Over Vague Detention Order

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the lack of clarity regarding specific terrorists mentioned in a preventive detention order. A single-judge bench headed by Justice Waseem Sadiq Nargal heard a habeas corpus petition filed by 28-year-old Zubair Amin Bangloo from Srinagar, challenging his detention.

The court questioned the authorities as to who the terrorists were, noting that while the detention order claimed Bangloo supported previously mentioned terrorists, no specific names were cited in the document. The bench questioned whether the executive magistrate merely copied the police dossier without applying an independent mind.

The court emphasized that depriving a person of personal liberty without a trial carries a heavy constitutional responsibility. It noted that fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 22 are not mere technicalities. The High Court has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar to appear personally before the court along with the Public Safety Act (PSA) detention order, police dossier, and official records.