2,300 people booked under UAPA in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019: report
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The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has registered 1,200 cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and has booked over 2,300 people since 2019, reported The Indian Express.
About 2,364 people were arrested under UAPA in the last 3 years wherein 918 were booked under 437 cases in 2019 and 953 were booked under 557 cases in 2020. In 2021, 493 people were booked in 275 cases. 1,100 of these people are still in custody.
945 people were booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) as well, and about 30% of them are still detained.
Former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti are among the first 290 people booked in the 30 days after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked on August 5, 2019.
Around 700 were detained in 2019 and another 160 people were detained in 2020. During the last 7 months, 95 people got detained under PSA as per police data.
The Sajad Lone-led People's Conference called it the "grim reminder of the changelessness in the security scenario in the Valley". It is in contrast with the Centre's claims of "improved law and order situation" in the region.
National Conference provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said that the administration should at least consider moving the prisoners outside the state to within so that they can meet their families.
A legal expert told The Indian Express that the number of PSA cases has decreased in 2020 while the number of UAPA cases has increased. The expert observed that the change is due to the police trying to book more people under UAPA, which is more stringent than the PSA. This will allow the police to keep the individuals in custody for longer.
Earlier in June 24, the political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir had met PM Narendra Modi and had sought the release of prisoners booked under both UAPA and PSA.
