The Jammu and Kashmir police have denied that Public Safety Act has been slapped on 12-year-old Faizan Bashir Sofi detained in connection with the Eid day violence that rocked the old city in Srinagar.
"A section of press is trying to create an impression that PSA has been slapped on Faizan Bashir Sofi which is not based on facts," a police spokesman said in Srinagar on Thursday.
"To put the entire incident in perspective it needs to be mentioned that on August 20 unruly rioters attacked a police vehicle on Ali Jan road in Srinagar. The vehicle was set ablaze. One weapon and some other government articles were set afire," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"Following the incident, an FIR with regard to the incident was registered in Safakadal Police Station. During the investigation, the photographic and video graphic evidence was studied and many miscreants were identified and Faizan was one of them. He was detained and produced before the hon'ble court which sent him to juvenile home at Harwan. On August 28, the accused juvenile was released by the court after taking an undertaking from his father," it added.
"Over the last few days a section of the press has tried to create an impression that Faizan was detained under PSA is not correct and is far from the truth."
The civil society and human rights groups had castigated the state government over detention of Faizan and demanded his release.
The civil society even held a candle light protest in Srinagar last week to seek an end to juvenile detentions in Kashmir.
