Jammu/New Delhi, October 13 (Scoop News) –A Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising JJ R.M. Lodha and Jagdish Singh Khehar today directed the Union of India and Government of J&K to file status report of all the foreign detenus, mostly from Pakistan who have been detained by the Government of J&K from time to time. The Supreme Court further directed the Government of J&K to proceed with the trial of the foreign prisoners in the respective districts outside J&K where the local accused persons have not been attending the trial and proceeding under 512 of Cr.P.C have been initiated against them. Other trials shall be held in J&K as per the earlier order of the Supreme Court of India.
These directions were issued by the Supreme Court on the writ petitions filed by the Panthers Party Chairman, Prof. Bhim Singh.
The Supreme Court also directed the Union and the State Govts. to file a reply on the additional affidavit filed by the State Legal Aid Committee seeking release of six detenus who have been arrested in J&K during 1965 war from Poonch sector. The relatives of these persons alleged to be in J&K jails have sent request to Prof. Bhim Singh for their release. The affidavit stated,
"That on 01.04.2011, Prof. Bhim Singh received a facsimile (appeal) from Mohd. Ayyub, s/o Mohd. Sher of District Poonch (POK), Pakistan requesting for help for the release of Pakistani prisoners namely, 1). Alam Sher, s/o Bagga, 2). Malik Barkat Hussain, s/o Said Mouhammad, 3). Sakhi Muhammad, s/o Laldin, 4). Bagga, s/o Ellahi, 5). Maskeen, s/o Said Muhammad, 6). Bagga s/o Said Ali, all of them belong to POK and according to the appeal they were arrested in 1965 in J&K, India. In the same appeal following note in Urdu has been inserted saying, "Now we have heard that all the persons above-mentioned are under the detention of BSF at open jail Nanak Nagar, Jammu. We have also heard that these persons are detained in different jails of Jammu and even their names are not registered in the jail records."