Mehbooba had been detained under the J&K Public Safety Act of 1978 on August 5 of last year after the Center struck down Articles 370 and 35-A of the Constitution and split J&K in two. Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh.
His case was to arise in the Supreme Court A response had also been prepared on 15 October, but it was decided that it was best to release her before the next hearing, sources in Delhi told TOI.
The order of the UT Department of the Interior, effective immediately, said that “the government hereby revokes the arrest warrant of 5.2.2020 issued by the Srinagar district magistrate, who was last extended by the government for three months on July 31 ”. The order was signed by Shaleen Kabra, J&K Chief Government Secretary. “Ms Mehbooba Mufti is being released,” government spokesman Rohit Kansal said in a tweet.
The process to launch Mehbooba Mufti appears to have originated from J&K LG Manoj Sinha’s visit to New Delhi in the last week of September. “Obviously, Mufti’s prolonged detention was the subject of review during LG’s meetings with the heads of the central government in Delhi, and it appears that general opinion, particularly within the Interior Ministry, favored his release,” said an official from the J&K administration in New Delhi.
It was only after LG returned to Srinagar from Delhi that input was solicited from various agencies, both central agencies and the J&K administration and police, on whether the current situation on the ground at UT was conducive to his release. Sources from central intelligence agencies said that the move to end her detention had been on the horizon for at least a couple of months, and that IB had favored her, but the final decision was made only after the minister of the Inside Amit shah he had reviewed the matter with LG after the end of his hospitalization.
Mehbooba Mufti was being held at her official residence, Fairview Bungalow, which had been declared a subsidiary jail. Mufti and Omar Abdullah they were initially housed at Hari Niwas Palace, but Mufti was later transferred to a government hut in Chashme Shahi, and then to a VIP government house on Maulana Azad Road in early winter last year before being transferred to Fairview .
In August last year, more than 40 mainstream leaders, including former CM Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, and prominent politicians such as Sajjad Gani Lone, were detained by the government under the J&K PSA to prevent any “incitement to violence” after the annulment of Article 370.
The Chairman of the National Conference and Srinagar MP, Farooq Abdullah, was the first to be released in February this year, followed by his son Omar Abdullah after the government revoked the Public Security Law applied against him. However, Mehbooba Mufti was not released and instead was transferred from a VIP government accommodation on Maulana Azad Road to Gupkar Road.
Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah initially stayed at Hari Niwas Palace, but Mufti was later transferred to a government hut in Chashme Shahi, and then to a VIP government house on Maulana Azad Road in the early winter of last year.
Iltija Mufti, Mehbooba’s daughter, tweeted: Now that Ms. Mufti’s illegal detention is finally coming to an end, I would like to thank everyone who supported me through these difficult times. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you. This is Iltija’s farewell. May Allah protect you. ”
Now that the illegal detention of Ms Mufti is finally coming to an end, I would like to thank everyone who supported me in these harsh … https://t.co/knPYwzWg60
– Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) 1602604532000
North Carolina Vice President Omar Abdullah said in his tweet that he was “pleased to learn that @MehboobaMufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. His continued detention was a parody and was against the basic principles of democracy. Welcome to Mehbooba. “Sajjad Lone also tweeted to say that it was” great news “and that he had” been through a very difficult time. ”
I am pleased to hear that @MehboobaMufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. She continued… https://t.co/hA0OnBsEPq
– Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) 1602605382000
Sources in Delhi said that all agencies were in favor of Mehbooba’s release as they felt conditions were right as law and order had greatly improved and “no adverse impacts or problems were expected after release. of the ex-CM “. The absence of any disturbance of public order after the release of Dr. Abdullah and Omar Abdullah is also said to have increased the confidence of the agencies.
The end of Mehbooba’s arrest is expected to help reignite political activity at J&K, something that “political appointee” Sinha had targeted when he took over as the new LG from former bureaucrat GC Murmu.
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