Farooq, Omar move HC for release of 16 NC leaders detained since August 5 last year: Party

A bunch of habeas corpus petitions seeking release of 16 senior leers of National Conference (NC) from detention at ir residences have been filed by party's president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah, who have contended that y were being held in "brazen violation" of constitutional guarantee of right to liberty.

According to writ petitions filed under Article 226 of Constitution, NC general secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leer Aga Syed Mehmood, party's chief spokesman Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, among ors, were being detained at ir residences illegally and wrongfully without serving m with grounds for such action.

leers have been forcibly restricted to ir homes by police personnel stationed outside for past 11 months.

Or leers for whose release petitions have been filed are Abdul Rahim Rar, Mohamm Khalil Bandh, Irfan Shah, Sahmeema Firdous, Mohamm Shafi Uri, Chaudhary Mohamm Ramzaan, Mubarak Gul, Dr Bashir Veeri, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Basharat Bukhari, Saifudin Bhat Shutru and Mohamm Shafi.

senior Abdullah has filed habeas corpus petition for seven leers, while his son Omar Abdullah has filed a similar plea for remaining nine.

Abdullahs, who were taken into preventive custody on intervening night of August 4 and 5 hours before Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked by Centre and n detained under stringent Public Safety Act for several months, have pleed that detainees be set at liberty.

petitions were filed before registrar of high court by vocate Shariq Reyaz.

party leership moved high court after petitions of se detained leers to Home Secretary of Union Territory on June 30 seeking removal of restrictions on ir movement and set m at "absolute liberty" remained unanswered.

party on Monday issued a statement saying habeas corpus petitions were filed in high court, challenging " unconstitutional and illegal house detention" of senior leers and functionaries.

Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said decision to approach high court has been taken as a resort to provide relief to various party members who have continuously been under house arrest or were kept under house detention after being released from custody under stringent Public Safety Act.

"Shifting of detainees from detention centres to ir homes only characterised revolving-door detention practice. Quashing of PSA on party general secretary underscored indefensible nature of all detentions in court of law, leing us to believe that ministration will release all detainees in absence of any convincing reason behind it. Unfortunately that was t to be. house detentions without any ministrative orders are unlawful, undermining due respect to human rights and individual liberty," he said.

spokesperson expressed hope that judiciary will come to rescue of ir colleagues, who have been suffering for fault ever since abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcation of state into union territories on August 5, 2019.

"This was only recourse left to us. We are hopeful that court will uphold civil liberties of our colleagues most of whom have t been keeping well," spokesman said.