KL Report

SRINAGAR

Denying the existence of a ‘revolving door detention’, the J&K government on Tuesday said it has arrested 1257 individuals under Public Safety Act between 2009 and July 2013. While the courts have quashed 945 of these detentions, in 66 cases the individuals set free by the courts were re-arrested.

State Home Department sources told Kashmir Life the state government is arresting individuals and later re-arresting them for their deep involvement in militancy, subversive or disruptive activities or other heinous crimes, in the interest of the security of the state and for maintenance of public order. The detention, it said, is confirmed only after the competent authority satisfies itself about the grounds of detention.

The government said the law has been in use prior to militancy for issues like smuggling of timber. The Act, it said, has sufficient inbuilt safeguards including reference to advisory board set up under the act to confirm or recommend revocation of the detention order leaving no scope for its misuse or arbitrary application by the authority. The law was amended last year in which individuals under the age of 18 can’t be detained under the Public Safety Act.

The highest number of arrests under PSA was made in 2010 when 448 individuals were booked under the law. Year 2011 witnessed 355 arrests, followed by 243 in 2009 and 52 in 2013, so far.

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