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Police question 4 J&K journalists, searches conducted at different places
The spokesman, while quoting inspector general of Police Vijay Kumar, denied it to be an issue of harassing journalists.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday night said that the four journalists who were questioned by it had links with the mastermind behind the blog kashmirfight@wordpress.com, which allegedly had been running a slander campaign against political workers, activists and journalists in Kashmir.
The police spokesman, in a statement, said that during the investigation of case FIR No. 82/2020 of Police Station Kothibagh, credible evidence was found linking Mir Hilal of Bemina; Mohammad Shah Abbas of Yaripora, Anantnag, presently staying Rajbagh; Azhar Qadri of Bemina and Showkat Motta son of Lalbazar with the mastermind behind the blog.
“On the basis of the evidence collected, searches were conducted at four different places after obtaining proper search warrants from the competent court of law. During the searches so conducted, some mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets were seized,” the police statement said.
The spokesman further said that for investigation the journalists were called for questioning and were allowed to go in the evening and have been directed to present themselves tomorrow again.
“The investigation is in progress and the scrutiny of electronic gadgets is also going on. So far, various numbers of Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi have been found, besides they are also found to have been in contact of various virtual numbers,” the spokesman added.
The spokesman, while quoting inspector general of Police Vijay Kumar, denied it to be an issue of harassing journalists and said that a due process of law is being followed while investigating a sensitive case. He advised the media fraternity not to spread false news or the narrative which may amount to unnecessary interference in the investigation of the case.
“The involved persons would be arrested in this case as and when the evidence is collected,” the spokesman said.
Police on Wednesday carried raids on the houses of four journalists in different parts of the city raising concerns over the freedom of the press in Kashmir.
Reporters Sans Frontiers, in a tweet, condemned the raids on journalists, “@RSF_inter firmly condemns as crude intimidation this morning’s police raids at the residence of 4 journalists - @KashmirNarrator editor Showkat Matta, @trtworld and @HuffPost’s @mirhilaal, and freelancers @AzharQadri and Abbas Shah #JournalismIsNotACrime.”
