Amid the Covid outbreak, the administration of J&K has revoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) detention orders of 31 people lodged in various jails in the Union Territory.

The orders for the revocation have been issued by the J&K Home Department and there is a possibility that the detainees would be released today only.

“Of the total people whose PSA has been revoked, 14 are lodged in Srinagar Central Jail, 11 are at Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu, four in District Jail, Rajouri, and two in District Jail, Kathua,” J&K’s Director General of Police (Prisons), VK Singh said. “They will be let off today.”

In wake of the pandemic, there has been a growing demand to release prisoners as there are fears that coronavirus may spread among jail inmates. The UT has recorded two Covid deaths so far and 49 cases have been found positive, which has created fear among the residents. Last week, a few states had also released prisoners in the wake of the pandemic.

There is, however, no word from the government on the release of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, former ministers Ali Mohamamd Sagar, Naeem Akhtar, Sartaj Madni, IAS-turned-politician Shah Faesal and other mainstream politicians who were taken into preventive detention in wake of the scrapping of Article 370. The two other former chief ministers —Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah — were released earlier this month after government revoked there PSAs.

According to government sources, there are over 360 people in detention under PSA in different jails in J&K and outside the UT. These also include 76-year-old Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom and trader Yaseen Khan.

According to prison officials, there is a possibility that more detainees may be released in coming days due to the spread of Covid.

On the directions of the Supreme Court, the J&K on Monday issued orders for a high-powered committee, who would look at cases to consider release of detainees to reduce overcrowding in jails.

Officials said there were nearly 3,800 inmates lodged in various jails of the J&K and nearly 200 others — most of them arrested last year ahead of scraping of J&K’s special status — were lodged outside the UT jails.

Overcrowded jails

Of the total people whose PSA has been revoked, 14 are lodged in Srinagar Central Jail, 11 are at Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu, four in District Jail, Rajouri, and two in District Jail, Kathua
Officials said there are nearly 3,800 inmates lodged in various jails of the J&K and nearly 200 others —most of them arrested last year ahead of scraping of J&K’s special status — were lodged in jails outside the UT.