Doda: The detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA) has continued to trigger political and public reactions, with MLA Thanamandi and senior advocate and former judge Muzaffar Iqbal Khan announcing that he will fight Malik’s case completely free of charge.
“I will fight Mehraj Malik’s case completely free of cost. I will not take a single penny,” Khan, a former Supreme Court advocate from Thanamandi and now MLA, said.
He described himself as standing firmly behind Malik, calling him “innocent” and vowing to ensure justice.
Malik, the lone AAP legislator in Jammu and Kashmir, was detained on September 8 on the orders of the Doda district magistrate, who cited his activities as “prejudicial to public order.”
The move came days after Malik’s open confrontation with Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh, where he accused the officer of misuse of authority, including issues over a dispensary’s unpaid rent and lapses in flood relief distribution.
The detention has led to protests in Doda, with supporters alleging political vendetta. The administration, however, released a dossier justifying the PSA, arguing that Malik’s conduct risked inciting unrest.
Malik’s father has made an appeal for his release, describing the detention as “undemocratic.”
“I gave my son to the people, now I want him back. His four daughters are crying at home — the youngest is just two-and-a-half years old. Who will take care of them? His mother and wife are also in tears,” he said.
He urged authorities to suspend the DC and called for an independent probe, saying, “Send CID, CBI, and all agencies, ask our neighbours and the people of our district how my son is. All I request is to revoke the PSA. The district itself is in crisis.”
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also weighed in on Friday after meeting Malik’s father. “I met his father and assured him all the help. I would advise his party (AAP) to pick a lawyer from J&K who understands the PSA law well, and not bring a lawyer from outside J&K. I have spoken to a few lawyers. We are ready to extend all possible help,” Omar said.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had earlier slammed the detention, questioning whether an elected representative should be jailed for demanding basic amenities for his constituency.
Civil society and opposition leaders too have criticised the PSA’s use against a legislator, a law usually invoked against militants and political activists.
