‘Soz travelled outside J&K in Oct, Dec’
Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir Government has informed the Supreme Court that former union minister Saif ud Din Soz was not under any detention or houses arrest, and was always free to move.
The statement submitted by the Home department in the Supreme Court goes against the version of his family, which has maintained that Soz was under house arrest since August 5 in wake of the abrogation of Article 370.
Soz’s wife Mumtazunnisa has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court to seek his release.
“There is no restriction on movement of Prof Saifuddin Soz to any place, subject to security clearance which is contingent upon law and order and security situation of that area… Prof Soz has never been placed under any detention, as alleged,” the affidavit by Special Secretary, Home has stated in the court.
Home Department said Soz travelled outside J&K on two occasions by air in October and December 2019, besides travelling multiple times within Kashmir.
It said no question arises of giving a copy of the detention order or reasons to Soz and his family when “no such order has ever been passed” by any authority in J&K.
The affidavit said Soz is a categorised protectee, who has been provided with round the clock security guards and personal security officers, who escort him whenever he goes and follow the security protocol.
It denied that the Station House Officer of Budgam visited Soz’s residence to instruct security guards that the octogenarian has been put under house arrest.
There was general restriction on movement of people on August 5, 2019, in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 but Soz was never detained or his movements were restricted by passing of any order, the affidavit stated.
Dubbing the contentions by his wife in the court as “false, frivolous and baseless”, the Home Department pointed out Soz travelled outside J&K at least on two occasions by air in October and December 2019, besides his travelling to local areas.
A bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, will examine this affidavit on Wednesday as it takes up the plea by Mumtazunnisa to ‘release’ her husband from ‘illegal detention’. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appears for the wife of the Congress leader. (KDC)
