Supreme Court gives some relief to Kashmiris

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter to meet her in Kashmir, where she is under detention following the revocation of the state's special status a month ago.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed the PDP chief's daughter Iltija to meet her after she submitted in court that she has no problem in going to their Srinagar home but has not been able to move freely in the city.

The bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, noted that there was no problem in authorities permitting Iltija to travel from Chennai, where she is currently staying, to Srinagar to meet her mother.

As far as moving around in other parts of Srinagar goes, Iltija can do so subject to the permission from district authorities, the bench said in its order.

It also allowed Iltija's plea to meet her mother in private. A relieved Iltija said she will be finally meeting her mother thanks to the Supreme Court.

"I feel a sense of relief that I will be able to see her. But my greater worry is that there seems to be no plan in place to end this siege that the state has witnessed for a month now," she said.

Mehbooba is in detention in a hut at Chashmeshahi near the governor's residence Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. "Today marks a month since a brutal clampdown was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Eight million people have been incarcerated and are living in constant fear, stripped of their rights and dignity.

"I had no choice but to approach the honourable court for justice. I will continue to speak my mind on what is right for Kashmir like any free and responsible citizen should," Iltija said in her reaction, adding she would be flying to Kashmir soon.

In her petition, Iltija said she is concerned about her mother's health as she has not met her for a month.

The Supreme Court also ordered that ailing CPI(M) leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami be shifted from Srinagar, where he is under detention at his home, to AIIMS in Delhi without any delay.

The bench also issued notice to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury's plea that there was no common order for Tarigami's detention.

The bench sought a reply within one week and posted the matter for further hearing on September 16. Yechury told the bench he has no objection if Tarigami, a former CPI(M) MLA, was shifted to AIIMS for better treatment.

"We want to reserve our right to challenge the detention of the former MLA in habeas corpus (bring the person) plea," Yechury told the apex court.

The Supreme Court took note of an affidavit filed by a Delhi law student, who recently returned from Kashmir, and said it would consider all the issues mentioned in the document on September 16.

On August 28, the apex court allowed Mohd Aleem Syed, a law student from Jamia Millia Islamia, to visit his parents in Anantnag in the Valley and asked him to file an affidavit on return.

His counsel placed an affidavit in a sealed cover before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer.

"We have gone through your affidavit. We will consider all the issues mentioned in it on September 16," the bench told advocate Sanjay Hegde who appeared for the student.