Srinagar: In a move that has drawn sharp criticism, Nazir Ahmad Ronga, president of the High Court Bar Association of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested at his home in Srinagar under the contentious Public Safety Act (PSA).

According to Kashmir Media Service, the arrest occurred during a midnight raid without a formal warrant, with police citing unspecified orders from higher authorities. Ronga’s son, Uzair Ronga, also an advocate, conveyed his distress over social media, describing the arrest as a potential misuse of the PSA intended to intimidate members of the Bar Association.

Nazir Ahmad Ronga, a prominent legal figure and repeated president of the association since 2020, has been a vocal advocate for the rights of Kashmiris under Indian administration. His arrest comes amidst new attempts by the High Court Bar Association to conduct elections, which have been repeatedly stymied by the local administration since the last polls in 2018.

The family remains uninformed of the specific grounds for Ronga’s detention, which has now involved his transfer to a facility in Jammu. This incident is part of a broader pattern of legal and civil rights challenges facing those who oppose Indian policy in the region.