Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police Arrest Third Senior Lawyer Under PSA The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, a senior lawyer and former general secretary of the J&K High Court Bar Association. Bhat's arrest comes approximately a week after the association’s ad-hoc chairman was detained.
Bhat, 70, was taken into custody from his home in Srinagar on Tuesday night and has been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Bhat’s family and colleagues reported that he has been transferred to Kathua jail, but the specific reasons for his detention under the PSA have not been disclosed.
"So far, we have not been provided with the grounds of his detention," said one of his brothers. Under the PSA, an individual can be detained for up to two years without trial on the order of the district magistrate.
The police have yet to issue a statement regarding Bhat’s arrest. A practicing lawyer for 42 years, Bhat has served multiple terms as the Bar Association’s general secretary.
His brother stressed Bhat's deteriorating health and the fact that his 63-year-old wife, who has no one to care for her since their only son passed away last year, is now alone.
Bhat's arrest follows the July 11 detention of Nazir Ahmad Ronga, the 75-year-old ad-hoc chairman of the J&K High Court Bar Association, who was also arrested during a night raid at his Srinagar home.
Ronga’s arrest occurred after the Bar Association decided to proceed with its election process, despite restrictions imposed by the LG government under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Since 2020, the government has barred the Bar from conducting elections, citing its constitution's advocacy for a "peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue" and alleged "secessionist ideology." The Bar later removed the term "Kashmir dispute" from its constitution.
Bhat's detention marks the third arrest of a Bar Association member since June 25.
The association’s former president, Mian Abdul Qayoom, 80, was also arrested on June 25 in connection with the 2020 killing of advocate Babar Qadri, who was shot outside his home by suspected militants.