PSA: ‘Daddy’s girl’ not grounds for detention

The police’s description of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as “daddy’s girl” is not among the grounds for her detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), according to official records.

The seven-page order served on the 60-year-old PDP chief, the daughter of party founder and former chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has stated 12 grounds for her detention under the ‘Public Order’ segment of the PSA that was invoked against her on February 6.

Senior officials in the Jammu and Kashmir administration involved in the decision-making process explained that the police dossier is submitted to the district magistrate who, in his/her wisdom, decides the grounds for detaining any person.

Citing section 13 of the PSA, the officials said that when a person is detained in pursuance of a detention order, the authority concerned needs to communicate the grounds for detention to the person to enable him/her to make a representation against it to the government.

In its dossier, the police recommended Mufti’s detention for her “dangerous and insidious mechanisation and usurping profile and nature by the masses as ‘daddy’s girl’ and ‘Kota Rani’” based on the profile of a medieval queen who rose to power by virtue of undertaking intrigues ranging from poisoning of her opponents to ponyardings.

However, the district magistrate, who is the executive officer, did not include this as a reason in the detention order against her under the PSA, the officials said.