Srinagar, July 27: The Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association (Srinagar) President, Mian Abdul Qayoom will be released on August 6, the day his detention period expires, Centre told Supreme Court on Monday.
The Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Ajay Rastogi, and Aniruddha Bose took up the plea filed by the Jammu & Kashmir Bar Association President on Monday.
On this submission by Mehta, Senior Counsel Dushyant Dave, representing Qayoom, raised the issue of “illegal detention” of Qayoom being in violation of his fundamental rights.
The Court asked SG Mehta to take instructions on whether Qayoom can be released on bail forthwith for the remainder of his detention period and has fixed the date for hearing on July 29.
Earlier, the Court asked the authorities if Qayoom’s continued detention was required and later, the matter was yet again deferred for want of instructions when Court was told that the authorities were in the process of taking a decision on Qayoom’s detention.
This question was posed by the Court in light of the fact that Qayoom’s detention was nearing its expiry and taking into account his old age and the apprehension of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qayoom was one of the many people who had been detained back in August last year, when Article 370 of was abrogated and the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir was revoked.
He was arrested by the Jammu & Kashmir Police on the intervening night of August 4 and 5, hours before the Centre’s move.
Qayoom is represented by Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, Advocate Vrinda Grover with Advocates Soutik Banerjee, and Aakarsh Kamra while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the Jammu & Kashmir government. (With inputs from Bar & Bench)
