Liberty Jammu And Kashmir And Ladakh High Court Detention

Highlighting that the personal liberty of a citizen is not a “plaything” for the district authorities to “flirt with”, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed a preventive detention order against a man who was accused of terror links with the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Justice Rahul Bharti was dealing with a plea of a man challenging the preventive detention order passed by the district magistrate, Pulwama.

The order noted that any action of the state and its officials that tends to interfere and intermeddle with any of the fundamental rights, in particular the fundamental right to life and personal liberty, is supposed to be strictly in accordance with the law providing and prescribing.

The petitioner, Fayaz Ahmad Lone, acting through his father, Ghulam Qadir Lone, came forward with the institution of the present writ petition on 29.05.2025 while being in a state of preventive detention custody lodged in District Jail, Rajouri, and has sought restoration of his personal liberty.

The district magistrate, Pulwama, passed a preventive detention order on May 7, 2025, directing Lone’s detention for activities allegedly prejudicial to the security of the State. The order was based on a dossier submitted by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Awantipora. The dossier alleged that Lone had links with the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), had developed a separatist ideology, and had assisted an eliminated JeM commander.

The allegations were that the petitioner was alleged to be one of the loyalists of an eliminated terrorist commander, Waqas of JeM, by helping him voluntarily and enabling him to carry out subversive activities.

Jagriti Rai works with The Indian Express, where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society. Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives. Expertise Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates. Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties. Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style. Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience. Academic Foundations: Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute. Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions. ... Read More