Srinagar / Supreme Court Allows Mehbooba Mufti's Daughter To Meet Her

Mehbooba Mufti's daughter will be allowed to meet her in Kashmir, the Supreme Court said today, responding to her petition today. In her petition, Sana Iltija Javed had said she was worried about her mother's health since she had not met her in a month.

Mehbooba Mufti, a former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, was arrested along with hundreds of other politicians on August 4 as a measure to prevent any trouble or protests over the government's decision to end special status to the state under Article 370 and split it into two union territories.

"Will you be standing in the way of this woman meeting her mother," Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the centre's lawyer, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who said no.

Iltija Javed told the court that she had not been allowed to meet her mother.

The government said if she approached the district magistrate, she would be allowed to visit Mehbooba Mufti, who has been detained at the Chashme Shahi near Srinagar.

"What stops you from going to Chennai to Srinagar? What is the impediment," the Chief Justice asked Ms Javed.

"They permitted me to go to Chennai but not to move around in Srinagar. I want to meet my mother in private and want to be allowed to move around in Srinagar," she told the court.

When the government said it objected to "the use of this forum", the Chief Justice replied: "It is the privilege of every citizen."

Allowing Ms Javed to meet her mother, the court said as far as moving freely in Srinagar was concerned, it was subject to the permission of the authorities.

Last month, Ms Javed had written to Home Minister Amit Shah  that Kashmiris had been "caged like animals and deprived of basic human rights" since the security and communications lockdown began.