The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the authorities to release the Muslim League Chairman and member of Hurriyat Conference Masarat Aalam Bhat forthwith from preventive custody if he is not required in any other case, Jammu based newspaper Daily Excelsior has reported.
The court quashed the 38th PSA detention order against Alam. Hearing an appeal filed by the relative of Alam seeking quashing of the judgment of Writ Court whereby his detention was upheld in 2018, the Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Rajnesh Oswal observed that the detention of Alam has expired as such directed the authorities to release him forthwith from the custody if he is not required in any other case.
The court while closing the appeal of Alam noted that a person can be detained under Public Safety Act only for a period of a maximum of 2 years and the detention of detenue-Alam has expired and become infructuous as perusal of record reveals that no fresh detention is in force against the detenu.
