The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has reserved its judgment in the preventive detention case of Aam Aadmi Party legislator Mehraj Malik, who has been held under the Public Safety Act since September last year.
The court’s decision follows a final hearing on a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of Malik’s detention, with both sides granted one week to submit written synopses or additional material before the verdict is pronounced.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, presided over by Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani, heard detailed arguments from counsel for the petitioner and the state government on Monday before reserving the matter for orders. Malik, representing the Doda East constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and serving as president of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, was detained on September 8 last year by the Doda district magistrate under Section 8 of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. Authorities cited grounds of acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
Malik has been lodged in Kathua jail since his detention. On September 24 last year, he filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court contesting the detention order, seeking its quashing and compensation of ₹5 crore for what the petition describes as unlawful confinement. The case has progressed through multiple hearings, with the latest proceedings concluding the oral arguments from both parties.
Advocate Appu Singh Slathia, part of Malik’s legal team and an AAP spokesperson, confirmed the reservation of judgment and stated that the court allowed one week for filing written submissions. She expressed confidence in the judicial process and appealed to party workers and supporters to exercise restraint while awaiting the outcome.
The Public Safety Act is a preventive detention law in Jammu and Kashmir that permits detention without formal trial for up to one year on grounds related to public order or state security. Malik’s detention as a sitting legislator has drawn attention to the application of such laws in the region following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and the restoration of statehood processes.
