Jammu and Kashmir courts rule in Pulwama-related detention and protest cases

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed the preventive detention of Suhail Fayaz Najar under the Public Safety Act. Justice M A Chowdhary ruled that authorities failed to demonstrate a “live and proximate link” between Najar’s past conduct and the necessity for continued detention, noting that the material relied upon was stale and that Najar had previously been granted bail in related cases.

In a separate legal development, a Jammu court has discharged seven individuals accused in connection with protests held following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. The court observed that mere presence in a large gathering does not establish criminal liability for acts committed by others. The judge noted that prosecution evidence failed to prove the accused participated in or abetted the violence, such as the burning of vehicles, and that mobile phone tower data alone was insufficient to establish specific criminal involvement.