SRINAGAR: A day after the arrest of journalist Fahad Shah, police on Saturday, February 5, 2022, said the journalist was wanted in three cases for glorifying militancy and spreading fake news.
“Fahad Shah is wanted in 3 cases for glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news & inciting general public for creating L&O situations: FIR No. 70/2020 of PS Safakadal Srinagar, FIR No. 06/2021 of PS Imamsahib, Shopian & currently has been arrested in FIR No. 19/2022 of PS Pulwama,” Kashmir Police tweeted.
Fahad, who is editor of a local news magazine and portal, “The Kashmir Walla”, was arrested yesterday by police in FIR No. 19/2022 registered by Pulwama police under different sections of law.
Fahad was among few journalists summoned and questioned by Pulwama police a few days back for alleged “incorrect reporting” about an encounter in Naira in Pulwama district on January 30 in which four militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad including a top commander Zahid Wani and a Pakistani militant were killed.
In the past also, Fahad had been summoned and questioned by the police.
Fahad is the second journalist to be arrested by police in the last two months.
Earlier, last month police arrested Sajad Gul, who worked as a trainee reporter at “The Kashmir Walla”. He has been booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) and lodged at Kotebalwal Jail, Jammu.
Reacting to Fahad’s arrest, former J&K Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Standing up for the truth is deemed anti-national. Showing the mirror to a deeply intolerant & authoritarian government is also anti-national. Fahad’s journalistic work speaks for itself & depicts the ground reality unpalatable to GOI. How many Fahad’s will you arrest?”
Peoples Conference chairman and former minister Sajjad Gani Lone tweeted, “Fahad Shah arrested. What times we are living in. Just a word of caution for the administration. This is not the worst that we in Kashmir have seen. We have seen even worse in nineties.”
“That didn’t change anything. This won’t change anything either. Take my humble word for it,” he further tweeted.