SC to hear plea challenging ex-JK CM Omar Abdullah's detention on March 5

Supreme Court on Monday posted for hearing on March 5 the petition of Sara Abdullah Pilot, Omar Abdullah's sister, challenging the detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978.

A bench of Justice Arun Mishra posted the matter for hearing on Thursday after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that J&K administration has filed an affidavit in the matter.

Pilot has challenged his detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) in the supreme court saying her brother's detention was a grave violation of his constitutional rights, including freedom of speech.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under preventive detention since August 5 last year following abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Under the law, his detention was to end six months later on February 5, 2020

The plea filed Pilot said the order of detention is manifestly illegal and there is no question of him being a "threat to the maintenance of public order".

Sara, filing the habeas corpus petition challenging the detention of Omar Abdullah under the PSA, said that exercise of powers by authorities under the CrPC to detain individuals, including political leaders, was "clearly mala fide" to ensure that the opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution is "silenced".

The plea has sought quashing of the February 5 order detaining Omar Abdullah under the PSA and also sought his production before the court.

(With inputs from ANI)