New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Ministry of Home Affairs has authorized Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar to exercise preventive detention powers under the National Security Act, 1980. According to an official notification published in the Delhi Gazette (Extraordinary), the delegation empowers the police chief to detain individuals without formal charges for durations ranging from 12 days up to 12 months. The order remains effective for a three-month period spanning from July 19 to October 18.
Issued under the direction of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the order invokes Section 3(3) read with Section 2(e) of the NSA, citing the necessity to safeguard public order and state security. The measure comes amidst expanding national capital demonstrations concerning the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test examination paper leaks, where ongoing confrontations between student groups and law enforcement have led to multiple first information reports and demands for administrative accountability. Under the delegated provisions, the police commissioner holds authority to issue preventive detention orders against any individual deemed to be acting in a manner prejudicial to national security or public safety.
The application of preventive detention provisions during high-profile civil agitations continues to draw public attention, following previous instances such as the 170-day detention of activist Sonam Wangchuk under similar administrative orders in Leh. Within the legal framework of the NSA, designated police chiefs and district magistrates serve as detaining authorities to maintain public order during periods of heightened civil unrest.
