Omar Abdullah’s sister Sara Pilot had appealed the Supreme Court against his detention and had asked that he be produced in court and freed immediately.
New Delhi| Whether Omar Abdullah’s detention under the stringent Public Security Act (PSA) is valid will be examined by the Supreme Court, which issued a notice today to the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
“We were hoping that the release would be sooner…,” said Sara Abdullah Pilot.
“We have full faith in the justice system. We are here in the hope that the people of Kashmir have the same rights as the rest of India. We are waiting for that day,” she added.
Kapil Sibal requested the court to move the hearing earlier than March 2, pleading: “It is a matter of liberty and can’t wait.”
The Supreme Court, commenting that Mr Abdullah’s sister had waited for one year, said: “You waited a long time.”
Mr Sibal then pointed out that this was the second detention order that was being challenged. The court, however, remained firm on the next date.
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Earlier, the court was giving the administration three weeks to file its reply but shortened it to 15 days on Sibal’s insistence.
Arguing for the release, Sibal had asked the apex court to see the dossier prepared by the administration to justify the invocation of PSA against Abdullah.
“It says that to avoid such statements by political leaders which might incite violence is one of the ground,” the senior lawyer told the court.
Pilot had on Monday moved the top court challenging her brother’s detention under the Public Safety Act, 1978, saying the order of detention is “manifestly illegal” and there is no question of him being a “threat to the maintenance of public order”.
The grounds of detention against Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the state from 2009-14, claims that on the eve of the reorganisation of the state he had allegedly made attempts to provoke general masses against the revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A.
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