J&K HC quashes PSA against journalist Majid Hyderi

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed the Public Safety Act (PSA) against journalist Majid Hyderi who is in jail since September 2023, stating that the grounds for detention were vague and had a generalised smacking of arbitrariness on the part of the detaining authority, which is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

Hyderi was arrested on charges of 'extortion', 'defamation', 'spreading false information' based on a complaint by another local, who also works as a journalist, and was later detained under PSA and lodged in Kot Balwal Jail of Jammu.

"The vague and generalised grounds in the order of detention, smacks of arbitrariness on the part of the detaining authority rendering the subjective satisfaction arrived at as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution," read the court order. Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul's order further stated that vague and non-specific grounds raise the impression that the same has been done deliberately to deprive the detenu of giving a precise rebuttal.


"The allegations against Majid were not proven in court and were completely false. This is a sound judgement as rule of law should prevail," said Muhamamd Yusuf Bhat, senior advocate, who represented Hyderi in the case. Bhat stated that, "If somebody is not anti national, he cannot be punished. This judgement also cautions the government that they should not do this in future."