Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Monday (September 08, 2025) has denied endorsing the Public Safety Act against Doda MLA Mehraj Malik. Mr Malik has been detained under the stringent preventive detention law Public Safety Act according to the reports. He is also the president of the J-K unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On Monday, 8th September 2025, he was shifted to Kathua district jail. In an official communique here by the secretariat, “It has been highlighted/reported in some media reports, social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) that the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat has endorsed the slapping of provisions of Public Safety Act 1978 on Mehraj Malik, MLA, which is factually incorrect and baseless as the Secretariat has no role in it,” as reported in the PTI.
What is the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978?
For those who don’t know, Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA) (Act No. VI of 1978), 1978 is a preventive detention law. originally enacted by the J&K State Legislature. It is now applicable to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The primary motive of the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978 is to detain individuals for preventing the actions prejudicial to the security of the state or maintenance of public order. One of the key prevosions of this act is that Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978 allows preventive detention without trial. The detainees also have no right to file bail application. The detained person doesn’t have a lot of legal options available and they can be re-detained as well.
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