Srinagar, Jun 17 : National Conference (NC) general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar was released from a sub-jail after over 10 months in this summer capital on Wednesday, a day after Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed his detention under Public Safety Act (PSA).
Official sources said that Sagar was released on Wednesday from a government guesthouse, which was designated as a sub-jail.
The six-time MLA — who was arrested on August 5 last year when center abrogated special status of J&K — was slapped with PSA immediately after his release from preventive detention on February 6.
The PSA dossier of Sagar had stated that his capacity could be gauged by his mobilizing power, as he could convince his electorate to vote even at the peak of militancy and election boycott campaign in 1990’s. “Sagar instigates party workers and youth especially from his constituency against the decisions of Government of India. He took out a protest march along with 250 people in August as well,” read the PSA dossier of Mr Sagar.
On February 6, security officials shifted Sagar from MLA hostel in Srinagar — where he was put under preventive custody — to M-5 government guesthouse on high profile Gupkar road in Srinagar.
Mr Sagar, former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, NC president Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, besides dozens of mainstream leaders, including ex-ministers, were detained on August 5, 2019, when centre abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.
Mr Sagar is the first mainstream politician whose detention was quashed by a court. The other leaders, who have been released by the UT administration, have reportedly given undertaking that they would not indulge in any activity that would disturb peace in J&K.
Omar Abdullah was released in March after about eight month detention following revocation of PSA which was slapped against him. Dr Farooq, who is MP from Srinagar, was also released in March after remaining under detention for about seven months. The NC president was released after his PSA was revoked by the J&K administration. Some other people lodged in different jails outside J&K were released last month amid COVID-19 outbreak.
In April, the detention of Mehbooba Mufti and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar under PSA was extended by three months. Ms Mehbooba was later shifted from a government guest house to her official residence after it was converted into sub-jail, where she continued to remain lodged.
