Families in limbo as Sopore youth held under PSA: Detentions 'disproportionate'

By A Representative 

At least six young men from Sopore have been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) following student protests earlier this month over alleged harassment of a girl at a government higher secondary school.  

The protests began on April 13 after serious allegations were raised against a teacher. Authorities removed the teacher and registered an FIR, but no arrest has been made. Police later accused several protesters of vandalism and disturbing public order, and shifted them to District Jail Bhadarwah under PSA provisions, which allow detention without trial.  

The families of the detained — identified as Umar Akbar Hajam, Salman Ahmed Shala, Altaf Ahmed Sheikh, Mubashir Ahmed Gilkar, Muzammil Mushtaq Changa, and Majid Firdous Dar — say they have not been informed of specific charges, raising concerns about transparency and due process.  

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has in past rulings cautioned against arbitrary use of the PSA, noting that authorities often rely on vague or repetitive grounds. Preventive detention, the courts have held, should not substitute ordinary criminal law.  

Civil liberties groups have criticized the latest detentions. The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a coalition of rights organizations, termed the use of PSA against protesters “disproportionate” and called for immediate release of those held. CASR also demanded a transparent investigation into the harassment allegations and accountability for what it described as misuse of preventive detention laws.  

The incident highlights continuing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir over the use of PSA, a law frequently challenged in courts and criticized by rights advocates for undermining constitutional safeguards.