More than 200 persons have been booked under Public Safety Act across Kashmir and over 2000 arrested, in a major crackdown by police across the region, amid ongoing uprising that entered its 56th day on Friday.
Information accessed by Kashmir Post reveals that against 210 PSA dossiers prepared by police in different districts, the State Home Department has cleared at least 180 PSA orders.
“While at least 110 PSA warrants have already been executed by booking equal number of youth who were playing frontal role in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, another 70 warrants are pending execution. Besides, another 25 warrants are still with district magistrates,” the official data revealed.
The highest number of PSA dossiers have been prepared in Anantnag (28) followed by Sopore (24), Bandipora (23), Kulgam (18), Pulwama (17), Srinagar (17), Baramulla (17), Shopian (13), Awantipora (12), Ganderbal (11), Budgam (09), Handwara (06), Kupwara (05).
“Against the total number of dossiers, 28 PSA orders have been issued in Anantnag followed by Sopore (24), Bandipora (20), Baramulla (17), Pulwama (14), Srinagar (12), Shopian (11), Kulgam (10), Awantipora (10),” said an official, adding: “In other districts the PSA orders issued vary from nine to five.”
Under the PSA, the authorities can arrest and imprison a person without trial for up to six months on mere suspicion that he may be acting “in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order”. The archaic Act was first introduced in J&K in 1978 against timber smuggling. Subsequently it was used against political opponents by the government of the day till 1990 and after the emergence of militancy, it has been used to book separatist and youth involved in protests
Meanwhile, at least 2000 youth were arrested/detained in 10 administrative districts and three police districts including Sopore, Awantipora and Handwara, during the ongoing uprising.
The data shows of the total arrests made, over 1400 youth have however been released on bail/bond.
The official said of these total arrests, 290 persons were put behind bars on directions from police headquarters. “They come under the arrest-master list category,” said the official.
He said both the number of detentions under the PSAs and the arrests would go up in coming days as scores of youth, “identified as troublemakers are on the run”.
