Reform criminal justice system: Irtiqa Mufti

Srinagar, Jun 2: Irtiqa Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has made a strong pitch for immediate reforms in Indiaís criminal justice system, particularly highlighting the plight of Kashmiri prisoners detained outside the Union Territory.

Speaking on the condition of undertrial and political prisoners, Irtiqa Mufti said that thousands of Kashmiri youth are languishing in prisons scattered across various Indian states, leaving their impoverished families helpless and unable to pursue legal recourse due to distance and financial constraints, reports KNT.

ìThese prisoners are being held under draconian laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), often without any proper trial. Some have been incarcerated in jails like Tihar for vague and arbitrary reasons, she said.

Irtiqa Mufti, according to the news agency Kashmir News Trust, lamented that the judicial process itself has become a form of punishment, as courts keep adjourning hearings, witnesses fail to appear, and trials drag on indefinitely. ìWhen the system delivers dates instead of decisions, justice is not just delayed, it is outright denied,î Irtiqa asserted.

Calling the current practice inhumane and unjust, she demanded the local lodgement of Kashmiri prisoners to enable their families to attend hearings and seek justice. ìWe need local prisons for local prisoners and timely, fair trials,î she emphasised, adding that the existing system is eroding public trust in the judiciary.