Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Tuesday quashed seven Public Safety Act (PSA) detentions on the ground that detenues were not supplied with proper material, no representation, and insufficient evidence was brought on record before court.
The court of Justice Tashi Rabstan quashed five detentions while Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey quashed two detentions.
This is the first time after August 5 last year when central government read down Article 370 and 35 A and downgraded the erstwhile state of J&K into two union territories, that the High Court has quashed such a number of PSA detentions in a single day.
The court of Tashi Rabstan while overturning five PSA detentions noted in the orders that the detaining authority has failed to supply proper material to the detenue to make a representation against the order. While Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also recorded that the detaining Authority has not applied proper mind while detaining a person under Public Safety Act.
The PSA of 1978 allows for a person to be imprisoned without trial for two years and is described by Amnesty International as a draconian and a black law.
Almost 601 PSA cases were registered last year in High Court wing of Srinagar while around 400 were alone registered after the August 5 lockdown.
The court today overturned PSA detention of Umar Abdullah Lone of Kangan Ganderbal, Owais Ahmad Digoo of Pulwama, Yawar Nabi Shah of Pulwama, Murtaza Hassan Laway of Budgam, Ghulam Hassan Tiploo of Soura, Ishafaq Ahmad Bhat of Kulgam and Ghulam Mohiudin Thokar of Awantipora.

NUSRAT SIDIQ