The Supreme Court Monday sought response from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on a plea of former Union minister and senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz’s wife challenging his house arrest since August 5 last year. A bench headed by Justices Arun Mishra issued notices to the Centre and the J&K administration asking them to respond by second week of July to the plea of Mumtazunnisa Soz, wife of the octogenarian leader. Mumtazunnisa has also sought the production of veteran leader before the court and the quashing of the house arrest order. She had alleged that till date the reasons for the detention have not been supplied to them and they are unable to challenge the arrest under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. This makes “his detention not only illegal, mala fide and unconstitutional, but also extremely appalling”, she said. Soz was put under house arrest after the Centre had abrogated certain provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status Jammu and Kashmir.
