J&K admin revokes PSA against Shah Faesal & 2 PDP leaders; all released from detention

In a major reprieve, the Jammu-Kashmir administration on Wednesday, has revoked the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) against former IAS officer and J&K politician Shah Faesal along with PDP leaders Sartaj Madni and Peer Mansoor, releasing them from detention. This move comes two weeks after the administration extended the PSA against FAesel by three months. He was initially booked under PSA on February 15, this year.

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Shah Faesal booked under PSA

Faesal who is the chief of Jammu & Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM), was detained at Delhi airport in August last year. He was initially taken to a makeshift detention center at the Centaur Hotel in Srinagar, but was later shifted to his home and was placed house arrest. On August 12, the J&K administration had issued a Look-Out circular against Faesal, which was challenged by Faesal in the Delhi High Court as 'malafide exercise by the Centre'. The administration then slapped the PSA on him after former J&K Chief Ministers Omar and Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti.

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Kashmiri leaders detention

Almost after seven months of detention, on March 13 this year, the Jammu Kashmir administration released NC chief J&K Farooq Abdullah. Days after Farooq's release, his son and former CM Omar Abdullah was also released on March 24. Both had been booked under PSA and after their release urged the government to release other leaders. 

However, on April 7, the J&K administration shifted former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, to her own residence but said that her detention under PSA will continue. The petition challenging the PSA slapped against her is still pending. Amidst the current Coronavirus pandemic, the Centre has also issued new domicile laws and is gearing up for the delimitation process of the newly bifurcated Union territories - Jammu- Kashmir and Ladakh. 

Jammu & Kashmir administration extends PSA detention of Shah Faesal by three months

What is PSA?

As per the PSA provisions, the government can detain a person for up to two years, although, for 'first-time offenders' the length of the detention is limited to six months. However, in the case of "no improvement in the conduct of the detainee," the detention can be extended to its full course of two years. The PSA act was initially promulgated during Sheikh Abdullah, the father of Farooq Abdullah's tenure.

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