New Delhi- The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has strongly condemned the detention of six young protesters under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Sopore, following student demonstrations over alleged harassment of a girl student by a teacher at a government higher secondary school.

The six individuals identified are Umar Akbar Hajam, Salman Ahmed Shala, Altaf Ahmed Sheikh, Mubashir Ahmed Gilkar, Muzammil Mushtaq Changa, and Majid Firdous Dar. They have been shifted to District Jail Bhadarwah under the PSA, a law that permits prolonged detention without trial.

According to reports, student protests broke out after allegations of harassment surfaced against a teacher on April 13. While the accused teacher was removed from his position and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered, no arrest has been made in the case to date. Instead of pursuing accountability in the harassment case, the administration has moved to crack down on protesters, CASR alleged in a statement.

There is a notable lack of transparency regarding the charges and evidence against the detained individuals, leaving families and local community members in uncertainty and raising concerns about due process, the rights group said.

Police have justified the detentions citing alleged involvement in vandalism and disturbance of public order. However, CASR argued that using a preventive detention law like the PSA against individuals protesting over student safety concerns raises serious questions about the administration's priorities.

Citing repeated observations by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which has cautioned against the arbitrary use of the PSA, CASR noted that courts have frequently quashed such detentions for being based on vague, repetitive, or "copy-paste" dossiers. The group also referenced the Supreme Court’s ruling in Rekha v. State of Tamil Nadu, which held that preventive detention cannot be invoked when ordinary criminal law is sufficient.

CASR demanded the immediate revocation of PSA charges and release of all detained individuals, a time-bound and transparent investigation into the harassment allegations, accountability for the misuse of draconian laws, and protection of the right to protest and freedom of expression in Jammu and Kashmir.

The group has called upon democratic rights organizations, student groups, and concerned citizens to raise their voices against what it termed repression and stand in solidarity with the people of Sopore.