AAP legislator Mehraj Malik approaches J&K High Court to restore ‘withdrawn security cover’, escort

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik has approached the J&K High Court to restore his security cover, withdrawn after he was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and jailed for around eight months. Mr. Malik, who was released from jail in April this year after the court quashed the PSA, said, “I approached the High Court of J&K and Ladakh on September 7 to seek restoration of my security cover and escort vehicle, which were not restored even after the quashing of my PSA.” In the petition, Mr.

Malik placed before the Court the security concerns surrounding him as a Legislator. He cited his travels to “terror-prone areas to hold public meetings, grassroots interactions and constituency engagements”. “While other MLAs [Member of Legislative Assembly] have been provided escort vehicles and appropriate security cover, I have been deprived of the same despite repeated representations to the concerned authorities.

Even my representation dated August 3, 2026 remained unanswered,” Mr. Malik told the Court. Mr. Malik said he was seeking “security as an elected public representative”. “I am entitled based on a fair and objective assessment of threat perception,” he added.

Meanwhile, the AAP legislator welcomed the court order to the Security Review Coordination Committee (SRCC) “to examine his threat perception and take a decision within six weeks”. “I hope the authorities will now undertake an impartial and professional assessment of my security requirements, without political considerations, and ensure that the safety of an elected representative is not compromised.

Security must be based on threat perception, not political perception,” said Mr. Malik.