- Thursday, February 27, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
A COURT in India on Monday (8) gave a freelance journalist in Kashmir two days to appear before it in connection with a police complaint that he had acted against the public interest by publicising a piece of information on social media about a militant attack on a cop.
The complaint against Gowhar Nazir Geelani comes just days after the arrest of Fahad Shah, the editor of web portal ‘The Kashmir Walla’, for sharing on social media “anti-national content to provoke the public to disturb law and order”, Reuters reported.
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“I have granted him (Geelani) two days for appearance before the court,” executive magistrate Fida Mohammad Bhat told Reuters.
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A summons which was issued to the freelance journalist said that on February 1, Geelani “disseminated information on social media that would have endangered the life of the injured individual and other persons” after the policeman was injured by militants, Reuters, which saw the document, said.
Geelani is also accused of sharing information that raised “serious security and breach-of-peace concerns”.
“I have strong apprehensions you will continue with such activities that will have an impact upon maintainable of peace and public tranquillity in my jurisdiction,” the summons read.
Kashmir Police chief Vijay Kumar told the news outlet that some people were uploading photographs, videos and posts on Facebook that “tantamount to glorifying terrorist activities and causing dent to the image of law enforcing agencies, besides causing ill-will and disaffection against the country”.
Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said in a tweet that “standing up for the truth is deemed anti-national,” and asked: “How many Fahad’s will you arrest?”
In January, the police arrested another Kashmir journalist called Sajad Gul and booked him under the state’s Public Safety Act that allows detention without trial for up to six months.
He was arrested after posting a video of a protest at the house of a militant killed during a gunfight with Indian armed forces. Gul’s family denied any wrongdoing.
