Jammu and KashmirPublic Safety ActDetentionHuman RightsHigh Court
J&K High Court Releases Mushtaq Ahmad Shah After 10 Months PSA Detention
Published: October 7, 2026
Mushtaq Ahmad Shah was released by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court after 10 months of detention under the Public Safety Act, following his arrest in December 2023. The court ordered his immediate release and declared the detention unlawful, prompting a review of PSA detentions across the state.
On 28 October 2024, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court declared the 10‑month detention of Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, a resident of Shahlatoo village in Shopian, unlawful and ordered his release.
The court found the grounds for the Public Safety Act detainment vague and lacking particulars, citing the police dossier that merely claimed Shah's social acceptability could make him a conduit for terrorism without naming any extremist contacts.
Justice Rajnesh Oswal noted that the order violated Article 22(5) of the Constitution, which guarantees protection against arbitrary detention, and called the detention a “sheer abuse of preventive detention jurisdiction.”
Shah had been held in a jail 300 kilometres from his home, where he endured solitary confinement and constant surveillance, a situation that many local families say has fractured community ties.
The High Court's ruling signals a broader scrutiny of PSA usage in the state, with authorities expected to reassess pending detentions and the government to respond to mounting criticism from civil‑rights groups.