The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to travel to Srinagar to meet her mother who was arrested last month, Bar and Bench reported. Iltija Mufti had on Wednesday moved the top court seeking directions to the authorities to allow her to meet her mother.

The top court, however, noted that the permission was only to meet her mother in Srinagar, and she could move around in Kashmir only if local authorities allowed her to, Live Law reported.

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The Peoples Democratic Party leader was put under house arrest on August 4, a day before the Centre announced that it was revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. She was arrested on August 5.

Iltija Mufti in her petition said she was concerned about her mother’s health as she had not met her in a month. Her advocate Aakarsh Kamra said they sought similar relief in the petition as the one granted to Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury last month by the top court to visit his ailing party colleague Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami in Srinagar.

Last month, Mehbooba Mufti’s mother Gulshan Mufti had also sought permission for a short meeting with her daughter.

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On Independence Day, Iltija Mufti had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning him about the Centre’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. She had said that “Kashmiris have been caged like animals” while the rest of the country celebrated the day.

On August 6, Iltija Mufti had called the Centre’s decisions “completely undemocratic”, and said her mother’s arrest was to “break her spirit”.

Several leaders in Jammu and Kashmir were taken into custody after the state lost its special status. While there were no reports from Mufti and Omar Abdullah, leaders like Shah Faesal challenged their detainment in court.


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