Centre detains Farooq Abdullah under strict provisions of PSA

PSA allows incarceration of up to two years with no trial

farooq-ani Farooq Abdullah | ANI Twitter

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah has been detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows incarceration of up to two years with no trial, reports claimed. The Supreme Court on Monday had sought response from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on a plea seeking to produce before court former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who is allegedly under detention following the scrapping of the state's special status.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S.A. Bobde and S.A. Nazeer issued notice to the Centre and the state, and fixed Rajya Sabha MP and MDMK leader Vaiko's plea for hearing on September 30.

Vaiko, who said he is a close friend of Abdullah for the past four decades, has contended that constitutional rights conferred on the National Conference leader had been deprived of on account of "illegal detention without any authority of law". 

The Supreme Court will also hear on Monday pleas challenging abrogation of provisions of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, validity of imposition of president's rule and the related restrictions imposed in the state.

The bench will also hear a bunch fresh petitions, including the one filed by former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, seeking permission to visit his family members and relatives.

Azad, who had tried to visit the state twice after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in Jammu and Kashmir but was sent back from the airport by the authorities, has sought a nod from the top court to visit his family members.

Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference party led by Sajjad Lone has also challenged the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and the validity of the state re-organization bill.