J&K CM Omar flags ‘misuse’ of Public Safety Act against youth with ‘no cases’, claims 400 such arrests

J&K Chief Minister criticizes misuse of Public Safety Act, highlighting detention of 400 youth without evidence or cases.

J&K Chief Minister on Thursday (March 6, 2025) flagged the issue of misuse of Public Safety Act (PSA) against those youth who have no cases against them, while referring to 400 youth in jail under the stringent Act.

Speaking in the J&K Assembly, Mr. Abdullah highlighted that keeping people in jail for years “based solely on the PSA means you have no evidence to prosecute them, no case against them”. 

“You are simply detaining them under the PSA. If what you say is true, that they are stone-pelters, OGWs [Over Ground Workers], or terrorists, then why do you need preventive detention? Preventive detention is needed when you cannot build a case against someone,” Omar said.

He pointed out his own detention under the PSA in 2019. “I was first arrested under PSA for six months. There was nothing against me and again the PSA was slapped,” the Chief Minister said.

He said 400 youths were jailed under PSA in J&K. “Police and law and order are not with me. I have no briefing. If the claim is that they are working against the country, book them in cases rather than PSA,” he added. 

The PSA empowers law forcing agencies to detain individuals without a trial for two years.