Mehbooba Mufti had been held in detention since August 2019 alongside thousands of politicians and activists after the Indian government passed legislation in parliament that stripped Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, annulled its separate constitution, and removed inherited protections on land and jobs. The decision also split the region into two federal territories — Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir.
Mufti, 61, was set free late Tuesday, an official order said.
The release comes just as a deadline set by the Supreme Court, which had been approached by her daughter Iltija Mufti with a habeas corpus petition challenging her “illegal” detention, was set to expire.
On Sept. 29 the court had questioned the central and Jammu and Kashmir governments, asking: “How long can Mehbooba Mufti be kept in custody?” The administration was given two weeks — till Oct. 14 — to explain how long they intended to do so.
Mufti’s detention, which was announced on the last day of her six-month detention without charges, had been extended by another three months in July.
Minutes after her release her daughter, Iltija Mufti, who took over her mother’s Twitter account after she was detained, tweeted: “As Ms Mufti’s illegal detention finally comes to an end, I’d like to thank everybody who supported me in these tough times. I owe a debt of gratitude to you all. This is Iltija signing off. May Allah protect you”.
“There is a sense of huge relief,” Iltija Mufti told NDTV when asked about relinquishing control of her mother’s social media account, “Twitter is a toxic place. Glad I will not be on it anymore. My mother will finally use her own Twitter handle. It felt abnormal to use hers.”
Hundreds of politicians, including Mufti and two other former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar — were detained or arrested as part of a massive clampdown by the Indian government to quell backlash over its controversial decision.
The Abdullahs, also charged under the draconian law, were released in March, within days of each other. Omar Abdullah tweeted on Tuesday, saying he was pleased to hear of Mufti’s release.
“I’m pleased to hear that Mehbooba Mufti sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. Her continued detention was a travesty & was against the basic tenets of democracy. Welcome out Mehbooba,” he said.
Last year the Indian government placed political leaders under detention (or arrested them), flooded the Kashmir Valley with troops and enforced an internet blockade that lasted for several months. — Agencies
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