Today, the Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir announced its decision on the Habeas Corpus petition regarding the illegal detention of the Handwara minor girl in which it was ordered that the girl and her family are free to go anywhere. This order was based on the affidavits submitted by the father and the mother of the Handwara minor girl to the High Court on its directions. In the affidavits the parents of the minor girl had mentioned that they are under the wrongful custody of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and that they have never voluntarily sought any police protection and that they want this police custody to end.

Initially on 10th May, Police had informed the family of the minor girl that they are free, but yesterday when the minor girl alongwith her parents reached Srinagar to the office of JKCCS, the police had already started harassing the relatives of the minor girl to ascertain their whereabouts. Subsequently, the police took the minor girl and her family back to Zachaldara, Handwara and re-detained them.

After today’s order by the High Court, the Police should end illegal confinement of the Handwara minor girl and end all overt and covert means of surveillance and restrictions.

Spokesperson
Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society

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Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.