Yechury Moves Habeas Petition in SC Against Tarigami’s Detention

New Delhi; Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday filed a habeas petition in the Supreme Court of India seeking production of party leader M Y Tarigami, who has been under detention in Jammu & Kashmir since August 5.

The writ petition has been filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the CPI(M) said.

According to a report on Bar & Bench, the matter was mentioned on Friday by advocate Shadan Farasat before the bench of Justice NV Ramana.

“Justice Ramana directed that the matter be listed before an appropriate Bench on August 26, as per the roster,” the report said.

Tarigami, 72, who has been a four-time MLA from Kulgam in the now dissolved J&K Assembly, is secretary of the J&K CPI(M) and a member of the party’s highest decision-making body of the party.

According to CPI(M) sources Tarigami, who hails from Anantnag, has not been keeping well for some time.

Tarigami was detained along with hundreds of political leaders, activists, lawyers among others on August 5, after the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status top J&K and bifurcate the state into two Union territories.

Since then J&K has been in lockdown, with complete communications breakdown.

A few days ago, Yechury, along with CPI leader D Raja, had gone to Srinagar to meet Tarigami and other party leaders but were sent back to Delhi from Srinagar airport. The authorities cited security reasons for doing so. This was despite Yechury informing the J&K governor a day earlier through a letter. He later termed this move by the authorities as “anti-democratic and authoritarian”.

On Saturday, Yechury has once again left for Srinagar as part of a nine-member Opposition team, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Incidentally, a few days ago, J&K governor had given a statement challenging Rahul Gandhi to visit the Valley and “see for himself”, claiming normalcy in the state which has been on the edge since August 5. The other member of the delegation including leaders from the Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Dravida Minnetra Kazagham, Nationalist Congress Party.

According to India Today, the J&K administration has requested them against visiting the state, saying “attempts should not be made to disturb the gradual restoration of normal life.”