The J&K state human rights commission has come to the rescue of prominent Kashmir cleric Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat (Veeri) who was detained under public safety act (PSA) last month.
Veeri, who hails from Veer village of Bijbehara in southKashmir was arrested from his home on February 22, and lodged at Anantnagdistrict jail. Subsequently, he was slapped with PSA and shifted to Jammu’s KotBalwal Jail.
Detention of Veeri, who is also the vice president ofreligious body J&K Jamiat Ahle Hadees, was part of a massive crackdownlaunched by the government against the religious and political leaders inKashmir last month.
Hearing the petition seeking shifting of Veeri from Jammu’sKot Balwal Jail to Srinagar, filed by rights activist Ahsan Untoo, thecommission directed concerned authorities to file their reply.
“Let in the firstinstance issue notice to Principal Secretary, Home Department and DG, Prisonsfor submitting their report in the matter,” reads the order issued by thecommission.
The petititioner has stated that Veeri’s detention has hurtreligious sentiments of people.
“…Veeri is a religious scholar and has not committed anykind of offence whatsoever and by arresting a religious scholar is interferenceof religion and also violation of fundamentals of the Indian Constitution. Thedetention order violated the freedom of speech which is guaranteed under theconstitution to every citizen,” read the petition.
The petitioner said Veeri’s detention away from home inJammu’s Kot Balwal jail is in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines, whichstress that the detainee should be kept in a jail near his home.
“… (Veeri) is a well known religious scholar and theauthorities detained him only to choke his voice and restrain him frompracticing and preaching his religious belief which is otherwise not anyoffence. In a secular state every person has a right to practice his religionas per his belief and curtailing this right is a grave human rights violation,”read the petition.
Saying Veer has been “casualty of state’s wrong policy”, thepetitioner stated before the commission that “whenever any person raises anyquestion on the wrong policies of the state, state actors immediately arrest himand suppress the voice, so that no one will be allowed to raise anyquestion…which is against the principles of democracy”.