Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday dismissed as “not maintainable” and “unnecessary” a petition by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s two children and a grandson in which they had pleaded for freedom from house detention.

Sheikh Abdullah’s daughter Khaleda Shah, son Mustafa Kamal and grandson Muzaffar Shah had petitioned before the court that they were “unlawfully detained” and “kept under house arrest” since August 5.

Police later told the court that the petitioners had “neither been put under house arrest” nor had “their liberty been curbed/jeopardised”.

“On hearing the state counsel, this court was convinced that the petition was unnecessary,” Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said on Tuesday. “The petition is dismissed, as being not maintainable and unnecessary.”

The petitioners are “free to take recourse to appropriate remedy” before the proper forum.

Later, Muzaffar Shah told The Telegraph over phone: “I have given them the paper cuttings… if need be, I will take this case to the Supreme Court.”

“It is a shame that in this democracy…, you are locking up people, locking up a former first lady of the state, a lady so aged, herself a freedom fighter and had the honour of hosting Mahatma Gandhi….”

Khaleda is 83 and is also the widow of former chief minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah.

Muzaffar Shah said he was filing a contempt petition. He said the three continued to be under house arrest.