Kashmir journalist arrested for ‘anti-national’ content on social media

Fahad Shah, the editor of a news portal, was arrested in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district after the police registered a case.

“It was learned credibly by the Pulwama Police that some Facebook users and portals were uploading anti-national content including photos, videos and posts with the criminal intent to create fear among the public and thus the uploaded content is troubling the public. law and order,” a police spokesperson said.

He said that it has also been learned that these Facebook users were uploading posts glorifying terrorist activities and maligning the image of law enforcing agencies, besides creating hatred and discontent against the country.

“Since the above activities by some Facebook users are considered to be cognizable offences, the Pulwama Police registered a case under FIR No. 19/2022 under relevant sections of the law and initiated investigation,” the spokesperson said.

He said Shah was arrested during the investigation, adding that the accused is in police custody.

Shah was first questioned by the police after the news portal uploaded a story based on the claim of the family of a terrorist killed in an encounter in Pulwama’s Naira area on January 30.

Police had said that four militants were killed in the encounter, but the family of one of the slain terrorists had claimed that his kin was innocent.

Reacting to the arrest of the journalist, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said that standing up for truth is considered anti-national.

“Standing up for truth is considered anti-national. Showing a mirror to a deeply intolerant and authoritarian government is also anti-national. Fahad’s journalistic work speaks for itself and renders the ground reality intolerable to the Indian government. How many you? Will you arrest Fahadh?” he wrote on Twitter.

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.