Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, a prominent figure in the Valley and former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA), has been arrested under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA). His family said that he was picked up from his residence in the middle of the night, claiming it was done without an arrest warrant, with the police saying that ‘it’s an order from above.’
Nazir is known for his vocal stance against the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and his political affiliations.
Senior advocate and former president of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association Nazir Ahmad Ronga was arrested in the early hours of Thursday from his Srinagar residence and booked under the Public Safety Act, officials said here. pic.twitter.com/0nZTh58kYo
— The State Sentinel News (@state_sentinel) July 11, 2024
Umair Ronga, his son and also a lawyer, wrote on X, “My father, Adv. N.A. Ronga, the Chairman of the J&K High Court Bar Association, has just been arrested in a deeply disturbing turn of events.”
With sharing the photos of the CCTV footage showing police personnel arriving at and leaving their residence, he further added: “At 1:10 am, a contingent of J&K Police arrived at our home without any arrest warrant, merely stating, ‘It’s an order from above’ (‘uper se order hai’).”
The family is left in a state of “shock and profound distress”. “We can only hope this is not another instance of the PSA being misused to intimidate the members of the J&K High Court Bar Association,” Umaor added.
Umair told Maktoob, “My tweet is the only information I have at this moment. He has been shifted to Jammu’s Kotbalwal jail under PSA. We haven’t been informed of anything else. They are yet to reach Jammu.”
India: Kashmir lawyer arrested in midnight raid, charged under draconian PSA, sent to jail
