Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978
The PSA is a preventive detention law enacted by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state legislature in 1978, empowering the administration to detain individuals without trial to prevent acts prejudicial to "the security of the State" or "the maintenance of public order." It has remained in force in the Union Territory after the 2019 reorganisation.
- Detention can extend up to 2 years for acts prejudicial to the security of the State and up to 1 year for acts prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
- The Act empowers District Magistrates or Divisional Commissioners to pass detention orders, subject to government confirmation and review by an Advisory Board.
- It has drawn sustained criticism, including from courts, for detention orders based on vague, generic, or "cut-paste" allegations lacking specific, current material linking the detainee to a genuine threat.
● Tracked since April 27, 2026 · last seen September 04, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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