Prisons dept responds to SHRC notice, says Umar Dar not lodged with dreaded criminals

He is lodged along with six other PSA detainees from Kashmir in Kathua jail, Petitioner says better later than never

Srinagar: The prisons department while responding to the notice issued to it by the State Human Rights Commission on the detention of Hurriyat Conference (G) activist Umar Adil  Dar detained under PSA an lodged in Kathua prison today said that Dar was not lodged among the criminals and that the allegations in this regard are baseless.

On September 11, petitioner and the chairman international forum for justice and human rights, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo had filed a petition before the SHRC seeking details of the lodgment of Dar stating that he was kept with the dreaded criminals in Kathua prison. Action on his petition, the SHRC had asked the prisons department to file a compliance report.

According to the reply filed by DIG prisons Muhammad Sultan Lone before the SHRC, it is submitted that Dar a PSA detainee is lodged in main block room number 3 where there are other Kashmiri PSA detainees. The reply further reads that that the complainant’s allegations that Dar is ldoged with the dreaded criminals in district jail Kathua are baseless. It also said that there is no threat to his security as he is lodged with other detainees that include Azad Ahmed Mir of Brath Kalan, Sopore,  Zaheer Abbas Lone of Pulama, Sajad Ahmed Chopan of Edipora Bomia, Sopore,  ashir Ahmed Malik of Uranhall Bijbehera, Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh of Chontipora Anantnag and Muhammad Rafiq of Nathipora, Bomia and all are PSA detainess.

The reply further reads that it is further submitted that safety and security of every inmate is a responsibility of jail administration and all the facilities are being provided to the jail inmates as per the provisions of jail manual and that providing separate room, barracks is not permissible in jail rules. Dar was arrested from a court premises in Anantnag on August 1 when he was there to present himself for a case.

The petitioner said finally the jail authorities have woken from the slumber and seems to have changed the room of Dar. “I would say better late than never,” he said.

Pertinently, in the recent ongoing session on prisoners and human rights, the name of chairman IFJHR surfaced in the speeches of various representatives and rights activists who stated that many rights activists including chairman IFJHR are facing threats at the hands of various authorities.