Mehbooba Mufti Appears Before J&K HC, Seeks Transfer of Undertrials Jailed Outside UR

Jammu, Nov 3: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday appeared before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, urging it to direct the government to transfer all undertrial prisoners from the Union Territory who are currently lodged in jails outside J&K.

In her public interest litigation (PIL), Mehbooba sought a “humanitarian” approach from the court, saying that hundreds of detainees, many arrested on mere suspicion before and after 2019, continue to languish in prisons far from home.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, she questioned why undertrials from J&K remain imprisoned while convicted offenders like Asaram and Gurmeet Ram Rahim have been released on parole or bail.

She said most of these prisoners belong to poor families who cannot afford to visit their kin or fight legal cases in distant states. “They have children, wives, and elderly parents. How will they travel or fight cases when they can’t even visit their loved ones?” she asked.

Mehbooba said her petition was driven by “compulsion and humanity” and appealed to the court to look at the issue beyond technicalities. She also requested that families of such prisoners be given financial assistance for travel until their relatives are brought back to local jails.

After the hearing, the court posted the matter for the next date. Mehbooba said she hoped the judiciary would “restore justice and dignity” to those not yet convicted but suffering prolonged incarceration.