The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to respond to Iltija Mufti’s amended plea challenging the detention of her mother and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti under the J-K Public Safety Act, saying detention cannot be forever and “some via media” should be explored.
A bench of justices S K Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy said that PDP leader should place request to the authorities for attending party meetings.
The Solicitor General, on his part, requested the bench to reserve its observations: “I will request my lords not to make any observation at this stage. Every case is different. Here, the detenuee, who is a former chief minister, issued public statements on bloodbath in the state.”
The bench responded: “In exuberance, several things are said which may not be right.” Mehta, however, pointed out that such things have a cascading effect in a state that has suffered militancy for decades now.
“That is unfortunate. Such a wonderful state had to see all this but what can be done,” replied the bench, adding the SG will have to satisfy the court on its queries in law on the maximum permissible period of detention as well as its proposed action with regard to Mufti’s detention.
The apex court permitted Iltija and her brother to meet their mother in detention.
Mehbooba, the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was put under detention on the eve of abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5 last year.