Srinagar
In occupied Kashmir, the High Court has directed the authorities to respond to a plea seeking the shifting of illegally detained Kashmir High Court Bar Association President, Mian Abdul Qayoom, to Srinagar from New Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
The court also listed the main petition challenging Mian Qayoom’s detention under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA), for final arguments on March 20.
These directions were passed by a division Bench of Ali Muhammad Magrey and Dhiraj Singh Tahakur which has sought response within 10 days from the authorities on the plea seeking the shifting of the HCBA President.
In the application moved by Mian Qayoom through his counsel, it has been submitted that the detained HCBA President be shifted from Tihar Jail to Srinagar.
In its earlier direction on February 28, the High Court had directed the Tihar jail authorities to produce Mian Abdul Qayoom before the Medical Superintendent, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on March 3 with further directions that the Medical Superintendent shall examine all records of the detenue and ensure that his complete medical examination was conducted.
In a separate application, apprehensions were expressed by Mian Qayoom’s counsel and senior lawyer ZA Shah with regard to the health of the HCBA President and court had, accordingly, sought a detailed response from the jail authorities concerned.
Mian Qayoom was booked by the authorities under the PSA on August 7, 2019, two days after Indian repealed the special status of occupied Kashmir and put the territory under military siege. He was first lodged at Central Jail, Srinagar, from where he was air lifted to Agra District Jail in Uttar Pradesh. He was moved to Tihar Jail after he suffered a heart attack in Agra Jail. During all this time, the authorities have extended his PSA detention twice.—KMS
