SC notice to Centre, J&K on plea for producing Farooq Abdullah

The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on a plea seeking to produce before court former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who is allegedly under detention following the scrapping of the state's special status.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer issued notice to the Centre and the state, and fixed Rajya Sabha MP and MDMK leader Vaiko's plea for hearing on September 30.

Vaiko, who said he is a close friend of Abdullah for the past four decades, has contended that constitutional rights conferred on the National Conference leader had been deprived of on account of "illegal detention without any authority of law".

MDMK Chief and leader Vaiko in his petition is Supreme Court has claimed that National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was supposed to attend 111th birth anniversary celebration of former Tamil Nadu CM & founder of DMK, CN Annadurai in Chennai on September 15.

“NC leader Farooq Abdullah could not be contacted as many leaders in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) were under house arrest, after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K.”

with PTI inputs.