Plea in Jammu and Kashmir High Court Seeks Release of Senior Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga from Preventive Detention
A habeas corpus petition has been filed before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking the release of Senior Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, who was detained under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978 last month. The petition, filed by Ronga’s wife Bilquees Ronga, challenges the legality of the detention and demands compensation of ₹60 lakhs.
The plea asserts that the allegations against Ronga, a former President of the High Court Bar Association, Srinagar, are baseless and malicious. It argues that the detention order was issued out of vengeance and seeks its quashing on these grounds.
The petition, represented by advocate BA Khan, claims that authorities failed to adhere to the procedural safeguards mandated by the Supreme Court’s DK Basu ruling, which governs the treatment of detainees. It also alleges that Ronga was subjected to illegal detention and torture, thereby violating his fundamental rights to life and liberty.
The petition demands compensation for the harm done to Ronga’s reputation and professional prospects due to the detention. The matter is scheduled for hearing on September 18, 2024.
Ronga was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police at 1:10 AM on July 11 from his residence in Nishat, Srinagar. Initially detained at Nishat police station, he was later moved to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. His family was not informed of the PSA detention at the time of his arrest. The detention order, passed by the District Magistrate of Srinagar on July 10, cited concerns about Ronga’s potential actions being prejudicial to state security.
Ronga, who has previously served multiple terms as President of the High Court Bar Association, was also detained under the PSA in 2023, prior to the abrogation of Article 370, to prevent protests. The PSA allows for preventive detention without trial for up to six months, similar to the National Security Act used in other states. The constitutional validity of the PSA’s provisions has been a subject of challenge in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court following the abrogation of Article 370.
(With inputs from agency)
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