Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s sister Sara Abdullah Pilot has moved the Supreme Court challenging his detention in Kashmir.

Abdullah had been under preventive detention post the revocation of Article 370 in August last year. The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was detained under the contentious Public Safety Act (PSA).

Omar and his political opponent Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, were booked under the PSA again on February 6. The detention period was reinstated a few hours before it was about to end.

Sara Abdullah Pilot stated in her petition that her brother's detention is a grave violation of his constitutional rights including freedom of speech, TOI reported.

She noted that Omar’s detention is part of a "consistent and concerted effort to muzzle all political rivals.”

According to rules, preventive detention can only be stretched beyond six months only if an advisory board, constituted two weeks before the completion of the 180-day period, directs for the same.

Abdullah, good at convincing people: dossier

The PSA dossier prepared by the police to renew the detention period of Abdullah cited his ability to convince voters to turn out in huge numbers, as one of the reasons for booking him under PSA. He managed to maintain voter turnout even during the peak of militancy and poll boycott calls by separatist leaders, NDTV reported.

The dossier mentioned that Omar was put under house arrest on the grounds of ‘provoking the general masses in Kashmir’ when the Valley was reorganized in August last year. It also accused him of playing divisive politics and following a “radical methodology.”

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