The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court quashed Tariq Ahmad Dar’s preventive detention, finding that the alleged cattle thefts could be addressed through ordinary criminal law.
Judge / Bench — Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati, Chief Justice, and Mohd Yousuf Wani, Judge.
The 21 October 2026 order in LPA 254/2026 distinguished breaches of law and order from threats to public order. Eleven FIRs and repeated allegations did not establish the required wider community disturbance. The Court set aside the dismissal of his habeas corpus petition and directed immediate release from detention in this case. It stressed that prosecutors should place alleged repeat offending before criminal courts considering bail or its cancellation.
Advocates appearing — Appellant: Parvaiz Amin Wani, Advocate. Respondents/UT: Mohsin S. Qadri, Senior Additional Advocate General, with Maha Majeed, Assisting Counsel.