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Mehbooba Mufti Petitions J&K High Court To Repatriate Undertrials Held Outside the UT

The petition frames distant detentions as a rights violation that blocks access to courts, lawyers, families.

Overview

  • Mufti appeared before the High Court in Jammu, pressing a PIL to return all J&K undertrial prisoners from jails in other states to facilities within the Union Territory.
  • The court heard the matter and posted it for the next date, with formal directions still awaited.
  • The filing argues violations of Articles 14 and 21, citing delayed trials, limited family contact, and the impracticality of confidential meetings with counsel for detainees housed far away.
  • The petition seeks systemic remedies including a high-level monitoring and grievance committee, standardized visitation and lawyer-access protocols, state-funded monthly travel for one family member, and quarterly judicial reviews of any exceptions with written justifications.
  • The case notes many transfers occurred after August 5, 2019, while acknowledging that some high-risk detainees may be held outside J&K for security reasons.