On May 12, 2025, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court quashed the Public Safety Act (PSA) detention of Advocate Muhammad Ashraf Bhat, a 71-year-old practicing lawyer and former secretary of the Kashmir Bar Association. The court cited serious procedural lapses, including the failure of authorities to inform Bhat about the outcome of his written representations challenging the detention. These representations were submitted to the Advisory Board, District Magistrate, and Principal Secretary of the Home Department, but no record or communication was produced to show that Bhat had been notified about any decision on his representations. The court emphasized that this lack of response further weakened the legal standing of the detention.

Additionally, the court noted that a similar detention order against Bhat in 2019 had already been overturned by the same High Court. Despite this, authorities failed to consider this history before issuing the fresh order. The court deemed this omission too serious to be taken casually and highlighted that if the law is mishandled, the consequences fall on the authority, and the relief belongs to the one wrongly detained.

The detention was based on allegations that Bhat’s activities were prejudicial to the maintenance of the security of the State. His wife, Mst. Asmat Hagroo, filed a writ petition on his behalf challenging the detention order and seeking his immediate release. The court ordered Bhat’s immediate release, directing the jail authorities to comply with the order without delay, thereby restoring his personal liberty.

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