On August 18, 2019, a communications blackout was imposed in Kashmir, and authorities began detaining thousands of people under the Public Safety Act (PSA), a law that allows imprisonment for up to two years without charge or trial.
A magistrate, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, revealed that at least 4,000 people were arrested and held under the PSA. The magistrate used a satellite phone to collate figures from colleagues across Kashmir, citing a lack of official data.
Government officials in Kashmir's main city of Srinagar confirmed the sweeping arrests, with a police official stating that around 6,000 people were medically examined after being detained. Another security official estimated that thousands were jailed, although this figure did not include residents detained at police stations.
As protests erupted in Srinagar, authorities reimposed heavy restrictions to quell unrest. Eight people were injured during weekend protests, and clashes in a dozen locations around Srinagar saw restrictions brought back in some areas.
State government spokesman Rohit Kansal denied providing a centralized figure for the total number of people detained, stating that there were only 'few preventive detentions' made to avoid a breach of the peace.
