Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): A petition has been submitted to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh requesting the release of Senior Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, who has been held under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA) since last month. The habeas corpus petition, filed by Ronga's wife, Bilquees Ronga, argues that the allegations leading to his detention are unfounded, fabricated, and malicious.
The petition, represented by Advocate BA Khan, contends that the detention order appears to have been issued out of spite and should be annulled on these grounds. It also alleges that the authorities did not adhere to the procedural requirements established by the Supreme Court in the DK Basu case regarding the arrest and detention process.
Additionally, the plea seeks Rs 60 lakh in compensation from the government, claiming that Ronga was unlawfully detained and subjected to torture, which violated his fundamental rights to life and liberty. The petition asserts that the detention has damaged Ronga's professional reputation and prospects, warranting compensation.
The High Court is expected to hear the case on September 18, 2024. "Ronga was detained by police at his Srinagar residence at 1:10 AM on July 11 and initially held at Nishat police station before being moved to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. His family was not informed of the detention under the PSA, which is a preventive detention law allowing imprisonment without trial for up to six months," petition says. The detention order was issued by the District Magistrate, Srinagar, on July 10, citing reasons related to state security.
Ronga, a former President of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, was also detained under the PSA in 2023, prior to the abrogation of Article 370, to preempt protests against the constitutional change.
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