Jammu, May 9: District Magistrate Jammu Rakesh Minhas has ordered the preventive detention of an alleged habitual offender from the Janipur area under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), citing repeated involvement in criminal activities allegedly affecting public peace and order.
Officials identified the accused as Veer Vikrant Singh, a resident of Paloura in Janipur area of Jammu.
According to officials, the detention order was issued after a dossier was submitted by Jammu Police through the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu, detailing the accused’s alleged criminal history and activities.
Acting under Section 8(1)(a) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the District Magistrate directed that the accused be placed under preventive detention in view of what authorities described as a continuing threat to public order.
Following the issuance of the detention warrant, the accused was shifted to District Jail Udhampur, where he has been lodged under PSA provisions.
Police officials said the accused, despite being around 20 years old, had accumulated a significant criminal record and was allegedly involved in multiple FIRs registered at police stations including Bakshi Nagar, Janipur and Nagrota.
Authorities alleged that the cases against him included unlawful possession and use of weapons, armed assaults involving swords and hockey sticks, criminal intimidation, robbery, and incidents of firing outside residential houses.
Officials claimed that his activities had created fear among residents in several localities and had repeatedly disturbed public order in parts of Jammu district.
According to police sources, the accused allegedly continued to engage in criminal activities even after securing bail in earlier cases.
Officials said this pattern of repeated involvement in criminal cases despite legal action prompted authorities to invoke preventive detention laws.
“The detention became necessary to prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and stability,” an official said.
Police officials maintained that preventive detention under the PSA was invoked after assessing the nature of allegations, the frequency of criminal cases, and the perceived impact on public order.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act allows authorities to detain individuals preventively in cases linked to activities considered harmful to public order or security of the state.
Officials said further legal proceedings in the pending criminal cases against the accused would continue separately under relevant provisions of law. [KNT]
