J&K CM Omar Abdullah Slams “Unjustified” PSA Detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik After High Court Quashes Order

SRINAGAR, April 27, 2026 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah openly criticized the detention of AAP legislator Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act, calling it a “gross misuse” of the law after the J&K High Court struck down the order that had kept the MLA behind bars since 2025.

Omar Abdullah post on X, stating that Malik should never have been detained at all, let alone under the stringent PSA, which allows authorities to imprison individuals for up to two years without a formal trial.

The Chief Minister directed his criticism squarely at the officials responsible, urging them to take the court’s ruling as a lesson and reconsider how preventive detention laws are being applied in the region.

The High Court’s decision to quash the detention order is a significant legal setback for the administration and raises questions about oversight and accountability within the system.

That the Chief Minister himself has acknowledged the detention was unjustified only adds weight to those concerns.For Malik and the AAP, the court’s ruling is a vindication. The MLA had been held under one of India’s most contested security laws, and the High Court found no legal justification for keeping him in custody.

Abdullah’s unusually candid response signals growing unease within his government over how PSA is being used, and whether those wielding it are doing so responsibly.