AAP MLA Mehraj Malik (PTI photo/file)

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday canceled the detention of Mehraj Malik, the lone AAP MLA in the Union Territory Assembly, under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) and directed the authorities to release him immediately.Granting relief to the Doda East MLA, Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani said the charges against him essentially fall within the ambit of ordinary law and order and cannot be stretched to justify preventive detention. Malik was detained about eight months ago on charges of misbehavior with a senior Doda official.Malik (37) termed the PSA detention order issued by Doda DM as arbitrary, politically motivated and an abuse of preventive detention powers and demanded a compensation of Rs 5 crore from the authorities.The HC held that the allegations against Malik are under investigation or at the trial stage before the courts and there is no apprehension that he will commit acts prejudicial to public order.However, the government defended the action, arguing that Malik had a tendency to disturb public order and that his detention followed reports from the police, magistrate officials and other inputs.Malik has been kept in Kathua jail. Malik’s lawyer and AAP spokesperson Appu Singh Salathia said, “We have won this legal battle. This has strengthened our faith in the judiciary. It was a tough journey of eight months. But as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well. Soon Malik will be with all of us and his supporters.”