Jammu, Dec 27: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Saturday heard a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of detained Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA Mehraj Malik, and adjourned the matter for further consideration to January 29 next year.
Mehraj Malik, who also serves as the President of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Aam Aadmi Party, was detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on September 8 and is currently lodged in Kathua jail. Challenging the legality of his detention, Malik had moved the High Court on September 24 by filing a habeas corpus petition, seeking his immediate release and claiming compensation of Rs 5 crore for what he has described as unlawful detention.
According to a statement issued by the Aam Aadmi Party, the petition came up for hearing before Justice Mohd Yousaf Wani. During the proceedings, senior advocate Rahul Pant, along with advocates S S Ahmed, M Iqbal Khan, Appu Singh Slathia, M Zulkarnain Chowdhary and Tariq Mughal, represented the petitioner.
The party said the court heard detailed arguments from the counsel appearing on behalf of Mehraj Malik. After considering the submissions, the High Court directed that the matter be listed for further hearing as Item No. 1 on January 29, 2026.