Jammu, Mar 20: Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Sagar on Saturday said that directions have been issued to the police officials not to re-arrest any persons released after serving detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA). He said 278 persons were serving detention under PSA in various jails.
Replying to the discussion on the Demand for Grants of the departments under his charge in the Legislative Assembly Saturday, Sagar said the Public Safety Act was being used against persons, who were threat to the public safety and integrity of the state and was being used only in cases, where it was required to be used.
“We have issued directions that a person released after being detained under PSA shall not be rearrested”, he said. Earlier, in a written reply to the cut motion moved by the PDP MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Sagar said 278 persons were under detention in various jails within and outside the state under PSA. “These include 88 locals, 88 foreigners, 38 illegal border crossers, 6 Bangladeshi nationals, 11 separatists and 47 criminals as on February 1, 2010,” he said and added that only foreign detenues are detained in the jails outside the state while all the state-subjects were lodged in the jails within the state.
The House was informed that at least 15 persons (11 militants, 1 OGW and 3 separatists) have been booked more than once under PSA. “However, 139 PSA detenues have been released from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010 in the state”.
“No political leader in minor offences have been detained under PSA and all persons detained were deeply involved in terrorism and subversive/disruptive activities and their detention has been confirmed only after the competent authority had satisfied itself as to grounds of their detention”, he said.
In view of the security scenario of the state and to prevent certain persons from acting against the security of the state, he said, it was necessary to have such a law for the time being.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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