JAMMU: A notorious criminal was detained under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Samba district on Wednesday, police said.

Shiv Dayal alias "Sunny", a resident of Chohala Kothey, is named in various criminal cases registered at seven police stations in Samba and Jammu districts, a police spokesperson said.

"His criminal activities have posed a serious threat to public peace and tranquility," the spokesperson said, adding that the district magistrate of Samba issued a detention order for Dayal based on a detailed dossier prepared by Senior Superintendent of Police, Samba.

Following his detention, Dayal has been lodged in district jail in Kathua, the spokesman said.

The PSA is an administrative law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases.