Public Safety Act (PSA) is a defensive detention law that allows keeping a person perceived as a threat to law and order in custody without trial for two years

While political leaders remain in detention for the 48th day in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, official figures claim that the number of detentions under Public Safety Act (PSA) have reduced significantly since 2016.

According to a report by The Times of India, over 920 people were slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA) in the six weeks following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in 2016.

However, after the PM Modi-led BJP government at the Centre revoked the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 provisions, some 211 people have been detained in the same time frame. Of this, the government hasn’t approved 21 detentions.

In 2016, 102 people were detained under PSA in Jammu, which has historically remained peaceful as compared to the Kashmir Valley, only 19 have been detained in the region this year.

According to the official data received by the newspaper, even though the police has detained overground workers of many terrorist organisations and political parties who threatened violence if the Centre went ahead with the abrogation of Article 370, the number of detentions under PSA in 2019 remains extremely low as compared to those in 2016.

In 2016, the government had filed responses in 661 cases in the Supreme Court and the Jammu and Kashmir High Court two months after Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter. Post-abrogation of Article 370 this year, the government has responded to petitions in only 16 cases as of September 19.

Last week, senior leader and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah was slapped with PSA for “activities prejudicial to maintenance of public order”. He remains detained at his home, which has been declared a sub-jail for the past 12 days.

Abdullah was slapped with PSA on the grounds that he had made 12 inflammatory statements with the intention of inciting violence ahead of the August 5 decision to scrap special status. Authorities also cited Abdullah’s association with separatists, including JKLF’s Yasin Malik as other reasons to book him.

PSA is a defensive detention law that allows keeping a person perceived as a threat to law and order in custody without trial for two years.

Abdullah’s case is set to go to the advisory board after the Ministry of Home Affairs issues a formal notification. The board then will fix the duration of the detention.