The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Thursday adjourned further proceedings in the habeas corpus petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) to February 19.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani heard submissions from state counsels Sunil Sethi and Monica Kohli during the session in Jammu. Advocate Appu Singh Slathia, part of the legal team representing the petitioner, informed reporters after the proceedings that the matter has been listed for continuation of arguments on February 19.
Malik, the AAP legislator from Doda in the Chenab Valley region of Jammu division, was detained under the PSA in September last year on orders issued by the District Magistrate, Doda. The preventive detention, which allows authorities to hold individuals without formal charges for up to two years on grounds of maintaining public order, has been contested by the AAP through a habeas corpus petition before the high court.
The court had previously heard part of the arguments advanced by the state counsels last week. Thursday’s hearing marked a continuation of the administration’s defense of the detention order. The bench part-heard the submissions and scheduled the next date to allow completion of the arguments.
The case has seen multiple adjournments since the petition was admitted in September 2025, shortly after the detention. Initial proceedings included notices to government officials, including the Principal Secretary (Home), District Magistrate Doda, and others, seeking their responses. The petition seeks quashing of the detention order and has included demands for release along with compensation in some representations.
Malik, who also serves as president of the AAP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, represents the Doda constituency. His detention drew criticism from political quarters, including statements from opposition figures questioning the application of the PSA against an elected representative.
The Public Safety Act remains a subject of legal scrutiny in various cases across Jammu and Kashmir, with courts examining grounds of detention, procedural compliance, and proportionality. In this instance, the high court is deliberating on the validity of the order following detailed submissions from both sides.
The Chenab Times News Desk