Journalist Fahad Shah had radical ideology since childhood: J&K Admin

On March 15, Fahad Shah, founder of The Kashmir Walla — a digital magazine and news portal based in Srinagar — was booked under PSA.

Jailed journalist Fahad Shah had “radical ideology from childhood” while his Srinagar-based new portal was actively disseminating “anti-India sentiment”, “ISI propaganda” and “victimhood narrative”, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has claimed in the detention order of the 33-year-old under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

Journalist Fahad Shah was arrested for the third time on March 6 by Srinagar Police in a case registered at Safa Kadal police station, allegedly regarding his reportage of an encounter in May 2020.

The administration also claimed the journalist through his portal posted “news against government policies” and would not carry “stories related to good governance”.

On March 15, Shah, founder of The Kashmir Walla — a digital magazine and news portal based in Srinagar — was booked under PSA by the Srinagar district magistrate, 37 days after his arrest. In the meantime, he also received bail in two of the three cases filed against him by police.

Under PSA, a person can be jailed for a period ranging from six months to two years without a trial on the orders of a district magistrate, who acts on the dossier prepared by the police.

“The SSP, Srinagar, has reported in the dossier that being a head of ‘Kashmir Walla’ news portal, you are constantly propagating stories which are against the interest and security of the nation and the stories mostly highlight the allegations of Kashmir conflict and Indian state high-handedness,” the detention order issued by Srinagar district magistrate claimed. HT has seen the order.

Though the undated order doesn’t mention his name, Mohammad Aijaz Asad is district magistrate and deputy commissioner of Srinagar.

“You are having radical ideology right from your childhood...,” added the order.

Shah was arrested for the third time on March 6 by Srinagar Police in a case registered at Safa Kadal police station, allegedly regarding his reportage of an encounter in May 2020.

The Srinagar police booked him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), besides sections 501 (printing or engraving defamatory matter) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, Shah’s magazine said.

“Through your online news portal, you are constantly propagating stories in a particular selective narrative which is in line with the ISI/separatist propaganda. Over the last two years, you have followed a selective/particular pattern of disseminating anti-Indian sentiment in a very subtle manner, though some of the stories are brazenly provocative as well,” it said.

The J&K administration also accused Shah of “legitimising and romantising” stone-pelters.

“Your modus operandi is to carry one or two stories per month which are based entirely on the victimhood narrative that portrays anti-India sentiment,” the detention order said.

“Your news portal extensively carries only one-sided and selective stories of anti-state narrative while any other news or story related to good governance or positive intervention by GOI (government of India) hardly finds any mention,” it alleged.

Shah’s lawyer Umair Ronga, however, termed the allegations in the detention order “baseless” and “without any grounds”.

“These allegations, including the one related to ISI, are without any evidence. We have seen the case diaries of all the three FIRs (first information reports). We couldn’t see any evidence from the state where it can be said that he was inclined towards ISI,” he said.

The lawyer also challenged the authorities’ claim that his client had “radical ideology from childhood”. “Were they studying with him in his school and reading his mind?” he asked.

“Going by the grounds of detention (in Shah’s case), every journalist can be booked by that logic. Isn’t every journalist inclined towards the victims and sufferers in the society?”

Shah was first arrested on February 4 by Pulwama police under the charges of sedition. Police said three separate FIRs have been registered against the journalist in the last four years, accusing him of glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news and inciting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah’s arrest had triggered widespread condemnation and demands of his release by national and international media and human rights organisations.