J-K: Case filed against reporter of banned Kashmir Reader for ‘public mischief’

Jammu and Kashmir police have registered a case against a reporter with the banned newspaper Kashmir on charges related to publication of “statements of conducing public mischief”.

A case under Section 505 was registered on Friday against Ishfaq Reshi for a September 28 report on crop-burning, in which villagers were quoted as blaming “government forces” for the alleged arson. The story did not have a response from any police or government spokesperson.

Kashmir Reader was banned on October 2 for allegedly inciting violence during the ongoing unrest in the Valley that has claimed at least 90 lives and left thousands injured.

Read | J-K govt shuts down English daily to maintain ‘public tranquillity’

Reshi, a student of convergent journalism at the Central University of Kashmir, said he was presented before a Munsif court in Magam on Friday and directed to apply for bail from the sessions court in Budgam. “I was in police detention during the day (on Friday) and allowed to go home in the evening,” Reshi was quoted as saying in a media report.

On Friday night when Hindustan Times called the station house officer of Magam police station, Aftab Ahmad, to verify Reshi’s statement, the officer denied making any arrest. “There are charges against him but he has not been arrested,” the officer said.

Consequently, police also said Reshi circulated “fake news” and for a normal incident of crop burning “he blamed the forces”.

JK Police had on September 30 released a statement denying the charges but it did not have any specific reference to the Kashmir Reader article.

“Apropos to the news item published by a section of press under the heading, ‘Forces set ablaze rice crop in Budgam. In this regard district police administration Budgam have clarified that the incident has been maliciously linked with forces. However, some anti-social elements set on fire two haycocks at village Adina, Magam,” the police statement had said.

“On the receipt of the complaint, police took cognizance and lodged an FIR no 159/16 in police station Magam and investigation has been taken up. The allegation is as such rebutted,” it added.

Separatist organisation Dukhtaran-e-Millat on Saturday criticised JK police for arresting and intimidating Reshi. In a statement issued here, DeM secretary general, Nahida Nasreen said that the harassment of journalists is the worst form of “political vendetta”.

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