In a partial relief, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), is being shifted to her official residence that has been converted into a subsidiary jail where she would continue to be in detention.
Mufti, who heads the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was in alliance with the BJP till June 2018, was detained on August 5 last year when the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state and divided it into two Union Territories.
Initially, she was taken into preventive custody. Later on February 6 this year, she was slapped with the PSA along with another former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was released recently.
According to an official order issued by the home department of the Union Territory, "The government hereby orders the change of place of lodgement of Ms Mehbooba Mufti... to subsidiary jail, Fairview, Gupkar Road, Srinagar, with immediate effect."
Mufti, who has completed eight months in detention, was lodged at a government bunglow on Maulana Azad Road near Lal Chowk. Fairview is the official residence of Mufti, which is located on the high-security Gupkar Road.
Reacting to the development, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abduallah said that his political rival should be released and the PSA slapped on her should be revoked.
In a tweet, he said, "Mehbooba Mufti must be set free. Shifting her home while continuing to keep her detained is a cop out."
Mufti's daughter Iltija had moved a habeas corpus petition before the Supreme Court in February challenging her mother's detention.
A three-judge bench had issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration seeking its response on the plea and posted the matter for a hearing on March 18. However, the petition was not taken up for hearing due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Habeas corpus is a writ seeking production of a person supposed to be in illegal detention before a court.
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