OnlyKashmir.in News Desk

Srinagar: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has upheld the preventive detention of a Kulgam resident booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), rejecting his challenge to the detention order linked to allegations of repeated involvement in cattle theft cases.

Justice M.A. Chowdhary dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Tariq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Raiwattan Asnoor in Kulgam’s Manzgam area. Dar had challenged a detention order issued by the District Magistrate, Kulgam, on December 13, 2025.

According to the grounds of detention, Dar was implicated in 11 FIRs concerning alleged livestock and cattle theft. Chargesheets had been filed in the cases, and he had obtained bail.

The petitioner argued that the allegations should be addressed through ordinary criminal proceedings rather than preventive detention. His counsel also raised concerns about the non-supply of bail orders and the preparation of detention grounds in English without translated copies.

The government opposed the petition, maintaining that the detaining authority had independently considered the available material and that the grounds had been explained to Dar in a language he understood.

In its examination, the High Court considered the distinction between ordinary law-and-order concerns and activities alleged to affect public order. It observed that the assessment involved the alleged pattern, continuity and potential community impact of the conduct attributed to the detainee.

The court found insufficient grounds to interfere with the detention order and dismissed the petition.

However, it clarified that the decision did not determine Dar’s guilt or innocence in the underlying criminal cases, which remain subject to adjudication by the competent criminal courts.

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