In Jammu & Kashmir, police are detaining 'secessionist' senior lawyers

In Jammu & Kashmir, several lawyers, including Senior Advocates Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Nazir Ahmad Ronga, and Mian Muzaffar, have been detained under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA), with reasons for their detention unclear. The PSA is a preventive detention law allowing detention without formal charges or trial, aimed at preventing actions deemed prejudicial to state security or public order. The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has previously quashed detention orders under this act for improper justification. The PSA's constitutional validity and application have been challenged in court, with the Act retained after the 2019 bifurcation of the state.