Kashmir Press Club deeply concerned over FIR against journalist in Bandipora

A Kashmir Press Club spokesperson said the reporter, who stands by his story published on February 9, in a letter to the Club, has also alleged that the concerned Tehsildar is trying to implicate him in false and fabricated charges of ‘stone pelting’, using police.

The reporter said he has been told by the police that on the insistence of the Tehsildar, an FIR dated February 10 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him at Police Station Hajin Bandipora.

“But despite repeated requests, I have not been provided the copy of the FIR by the police,” he said.

The reporter Sajad Gul had filed a story about a demolition drive carried out by the revenue authorities in Hajin’s Shahgund village of Bandipora district in north Kashmir on February 9.

In the story, the residents of the village alleged that they were being “harassed and threatened” by Tehsildar Hajin Ghulam Mohammad Bhat over demolition of their houses.

"I want to bring it to your kind notice that Tehsildar Hajin Ghulam Mohammad Bhat has been harassing me from last two weeks by putting baseless allegations like stone pelting and shouting slogans during their demolition drive which happened on February 10," the reporter Gul said in his testimony to the Club.

"It is pertinent to say that on that day, I was out of the station at Rajbagh Srinagar. I have kindly requested DySP (concerned) to find the location of my cell phone on that day but to my utter dismay they are not resolving the matter,” he said.

He said the Tehsildar has been threatening him to end his career and put him behind bars for doing the story which is based completely on truth and facts.

“Though the Club had flagged the alleged harassment by the Tehsildar with the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir as well as the Deputy Commissioner a few days ago, despite their assurances an FIR has been registered against the reporter,” the spokesperson of the club said.

“Given this background involving alleged threats by an official to a journalist for doing a story and the threats, legal action and fabrications, the Kashmir Club urges upon the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir to look into the matter and alleged misuse of his authority by the concerned Tehsildar on whose insistence an FIR has been filed against the reporter concerned,” he said.

He said the police officers involved are also urged to be considerate and probe the matter thoroughly, particularly the assertion by the reporter that he wasn’t  present at the location on that day, taking into account all the proof in the case that he is willing to furnish.

“The Club expresses deep concern on registration of such an FIR against the journalist concerned on false and fabricated charges again and reiterates that public spirited journalism or highlighting the concerns of the affected is one of the primary duties of the media and implicating a journalist for rendering public services on false and fabricated charges is an assault on journalism,” he added.