SRINAGAR: Sajad Lone, the President of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference and MLA from Handwara, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in Srinagar. The petition challenges the misuse of police verification processes, which he argues have been wielded as a tool of collective punishment, unfairly targeting individuals based on the actions or affiliations of their family members.
Filed through Advocate Syed Sajad Geelani, the PIL highlights how police verifications have been used to deny citizens their fundamental rights, including employment opportunities, access to passports, and other essential services. Lone emphasised that the process must remain transparent, fair, and strictly aligned with legal norms to prevent unjust hardships.
The petition underscores violations of Articles 14, 19(1)(g), and 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality, the right to pursue any profession, and the right to live with dignity. Lone also invoked the Supreme Court’s precedent opposing collective punishment, stating that police verifications should focus solely on the individual in question rather than external factors such as familial conduct.
Central to the PIL is the call for rigorous enforcement of the Jammu & Kashmir Civil Services (Validation of Character and Antecedents) Instructions, 1997, along with recent amendments. These guidelines mandate clear timelines and restrict verification to an individual’s criminal record, but Lone contends that their neglect has caused severe social and economic hardships.
Reinforcing his commitment to justice, Lone clarified that the PIL is apolitical and aimed solely at safeguarding constitutional rights. He cited real-life cases to demonstrate the human cost of arbitrary verification practices, pledging to continue his fight for fairness and dignity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The PIL has been submitted to the court registry and is pending procedural review before being listed for a hearing.
