Jammu and Kashmir High Court (J&K High Court) rules that participation in nationalist activities is not a license to get involved in crime in Aqib Ahmad Renzu V/s UT of J&K matter.
J&K High Court recently upheld the preventive detention of Aqib Ahmad Renzu, a corporator with the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), dismissing his challenge to the detention under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA).
Renzu had contended that his involvement in nationalist activities should exempt him from detention, but the court firmly rejected this argument, emphasizing that participation in such activities does not grant immunity from criminal behavior.
Aqib Ahmad Renzu was detained in October of the previous year, shortly after his arrest in connection with a sexual harassment case. In his habeas corpus petition, Renzu raised several objections to his detention, including the assertion that the grounds cited were irrelevant and vague. However, the court found these arguments lacking in merit.
Justice Sanjay Dhar, presiding over the case, highlighted that Aqib Ahmad Renzu’s involvement in nationalist events like Har Ghar Tiranga did not absolve him of accountability for criminal activities. The court underscored the importance of upholding public order and noted Renzu’s history of involvement in incidents prejudicial to it, citing seven FIRs lodged against him between 2013 and 2023.
Despite Renzu’s claim that his representation against detention was not duly considered and that relevant materials were not provided to him, the court found no evidence supporting these contentions. It concluded that there was ample justification for Renzu’s detention under the PSA, as indicated by his past conduct and recent incidents.
Advocate Shuja ul Ha represented Renzu, while government advocate Jehangir Ahmad Dar appeared on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir government. The court’s ruling affirms that participation in nationalist activities does not grant individuals a license to engage in criminal behavior, underscoring the imperative of maintaining public order and accountability for actions that undermine it.
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