Habeas Corpus Petitions: Supreme Court allows Sitaram Yechury and Kashmiri Student to travel to Kashmir

The Supreme Court today allowed CPI (M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury to travel to Kashmir to meet detained Kashmiri CPI(M) leader, Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami..The Court passed an order to this effect despite opposition by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while observing that there is nothing wrong in one citizen meeting another..Whereas SG Mehta submitted that the state could escort Yechury during his visit, the Court rejected the offer, observing that there is no need for the same..While passing the order, the Court also emphasised that Yechury should not indulge in any other act except meeting Tarigami during his visit. It was clarified that any other act during his visit it would be construed as violation of the Court’s order..The order was passed in a Habeas Corpus Petition filed by Yechury. Yechury had travelled to Srinagar earlier this month along with CPI leader D Raja to meet Tarigami who according to the Party is not keeping well. But Yechury and Raja were detained at the Srinagar airport and were denied entry into the city..Yechury’s petition was filed on August 19 and defects were cleared on August 21. The matter was mentioned last Friday before Justice NV Ramana, who ordered that the case be listed on August 26 before an appropriate Bench. However, the matter was not listed on Monday, despite the judicial order to that effect. It was finally listed today, along with another Habeas Corpus plea filed by Kashmiri Student, Mohammad Aleem Sayed. .Sayed, who is currently in Kashmir, approached the Supreme Court after he was unable to get in touch with his parents following the state-wide lockdown that followed the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution..The Court today also allowed Sayed’s plea to travel to Anantnag to meet his parents. Further, the Bench has directed the State to facilitate travel and provide police protection...Both orders were passed by a Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer..[Read the Petition filed by Sitaram Yechury].[Read the order passed in the plea filed by Sitaram Yechury].[Read the order passed in the plea filed by Mohammad Aleem Sayed]