AAP MLA from Doda East and party’s J&K president Mehraj Malik, who spent nearly eight months in prison under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing law and public order in Doda district, has moved the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court seeking restoration of his security cover.
“Today, the petition of MLA Mehraj Malik was listed before Justice Sanjay Dhar of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh at Jammu,” said Malik’s counsel and party’s J&K spokesperson Appu Singh Slathia.
When the matter was taken up for hearing, Slathia argued on behalf of the petitioner while senior additional advocate general (AAG) Monika Kohli appeared for the state.
Principal secretary, Home Department; DGP; ADGP, Security; IGP Security - Jammu; DIG, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range; SSP (Security), Jammu, and SSP, Doda, have been arraigned as respondents in the petition moved by Malik.
Slathia argued that since the quashment of the PSA of Malik on April 27, the state has not restored his security cover along with the escort vehicle.
She added that the Doda MLA’s political engagements involve frequent travel across J&K, including Kashmir; grass-root level meetings; community interactions and proliferation of engagements and that the petitioner was under constant security threat.
Slathia claimed that the petitioner has been “singled out” as all the other MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly have been provided escort vehicles with proper security cover.
{{/usCountry}}Slathia claimed that the petitioner has been “singled out” as all the other MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly have been provided escort vehicles with proper security cover.
{{/usCountry}}She claimed that the petitioner is being made to suffer because of his “disparate” views especially with respect to the ruling government at the Centre and the government in the Union Territory of J&K.
She also submitted before the high court that till date none of the representations have been replied to by the respondents.
“Rather, the DGP of J&K has not bothered to respond to the MLA’s innocuous representation dated August 3. Coming from a terror-prone area, the life of MLA is at risk and if something gruesome happens, there will be serious ramifications,” she submitted.
She reiterated that his security was infused with threat perception and his security cover along with the escort vehicle should be restored immediately.
The High Court, while disposing of the petition, directed the respondents to consider the representations of the petitioner.
The Court directed the Security Review Coordination Committee to look into the threat perception of the MLA and take a decision within six weeks from the date of the court’s order.