Saturday, April 27News and updates from Kashmir

‘Had we known Journalism was this dangerous in Kashmir, we’d have never allowed him to pursue it’: Sajad Gul’s Family

by News Desk

Bhat Yasir

A Kashmiri journalist – Sajad Gul, who has freelanced for a various media outlets, has been booked under the charges of ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ and arrested by Jammu Kashmir Police.

“On Wednesday, the Army came to the house several times to search him, but he was not at his home,” his brother said. The Army sought Sajad’s phone number and at around 10 PM the Army returned and called Sajad, he said.

Sajad asked his family to not worry and went out where the Army was waiting for him. “We kept calling him constantly for several hours and finally someone around 1 picked up the phone and said Sajad had been handed over to the police,” his brother told The Kashmiriyat.

For the initial two days after his detention, the family met the Police officials who told them to keep silent for a few days and Sajad would be released, he said. “Eventually we came to know that FIR had been registered against him,” he said.

“He has been booked under the 120B (party to criminal conspiracy), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 505B (fear or alarm to the public) sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”

“The first day we went to meet him, he was fine, but the next day, we felt he had been beaten in the Police custody,” his brother told The Kashmiriyat. He said that since the family saw him the last, they have been worried about his safety and well-being.

He said that had the family known Journalism was such a dangerous profession, the family would have never allowed him to pursue Journalism as a career. “This has happened for the first time with us. We thought the issue isn’t serious and that he will not be arrested, that too under such serious charges,” a family member said to The Kashmiriyat.

He had recently posted a video, wherein ‘Anti-India slogans were raised by family members and relatives of militant Saleem Parray, who was killed in a brief encounter, on social media.

According to the Police chargesheet, Sajad has been booked under 120B (party to criminal conspiracy), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 505B (fear or alarm to the public) sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sajad is a Journalism student at the Central University of Kashmir and has contributed for various local media outlets. He had recently joined local media outlet The Kashmir Walla as trainee reporter.

This isn’t the first time, however, that Sajad had faced charges. In February last year, he was booked for ‘rioting, trespassing, and assault’ under sections 147, 447 and 353 of IPC, based on complaints by Tehsildar. Gul had reported a story on a demolition drive in district Bandipora for a local news outlet on February 10, wherein the locals had alleged ‘harassment’ by the mentioned ‘Tehsildar’.

Last year, on 21 November, he in a tweet thread said that “Again for consecutive two days, I attended a court hearing for a “Crime” that I never committed. I was booked with my four family members earlier in (Feb 2021) without probe & proper investigation by @bandiporapolice @Zahidkps @owais_ias . Today I had to skip class [ University].”

“Earlier my home was raided, and cops deleted my tweets. The continued harassment is taking a toll on my mental health & impacting,” he wrote in another tweet.

Gul was also questioned in relation to a video posted to his Twitter profile and a news report on the death of a young man in a gunfight on October 11. In the video, the deceased’s family claimed that their son was innocent.

The Police chargesheet

Meanwhile, in the chargesheet filed against Sajad, police said that Sajad Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Muhammad Dar of Shahgund Hajin, runs a tweeter account in the name of Sajad Gull “is always in search of anti-government news and uploads tweets,” which are not based on facts in order to provoke the people against government and to spread enmity against the nation among people.

“Last year encroachment drive was carried out by the revenue department in his native village wherein he has instigated the locals against that drive and restrained the officials in discharging their legitimate duties,” police said.

To this effect, a case under FIR number 12/ 2021 under section 147, 447, 336, 353/IPC stands registered against him and the final charge sheet against him has been produced before the court of JMIC Sumbal for judicial determination, police said.

“The subject has spread by virtue of his false tweets and fake narrative regarding the recent anti-militancy operation in Gundjahangeer in which one local militant namely Imtiyaz Ahmad was killed thereby provoking the locals against the Army and Police. In this regard, a case under FIR number 79/2021 under section 120B, 153B, 505/IPC stands registered against him.

“The day when the most wanted militant Saleem Parray was killed in Shalimar Srinagar, Sajad uploaded the videos of anti-national slogans by some women folk, mostly relatives, at the residence of the slain in Hajin, thereby trying to disrupt the peace. His activities are prejudicial to the security and sovereignty of the country.”

The journalist always tweets controversial statements and after provoking the masses delete the same tweets and thereby is involved in mischievous activities to disrupt peace and tranquility of the region, the police said in a chargesheet.

Widespread condemnation

Sajad’s brother said that they have received widespread support, however, they did not know Journalism can bring so much of trouble to the family. “My brother was merely reporting, we never knew journalism could attract so much problem. We will ask him to change his professional line and pursue anything other than Journalism, after he comes out,” his brother said.

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released a statement saying it was deeply disturbed by reports of Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul being arrested.

In a tweet, CPJ said, “ CPJ is deeply disturbed by reports that Kashmiri journalist @SajadGUL_ was arrested days after posting a video of a protest on social media. Authorities must immediately release Gul and drop their investigations related to his journalistic work.”

Siddharth, The Wire’s founding editor, while sharing the news link of Sajad’s arrest, wrote in a tweet that “J&K Police has arrested reporter Sajad Gul for reporting, under 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration).

How many Dharam Sansad ‘sants’ are in jail for their assertions prejudicial to national integration?”

After Sajad was questioned about an video, the International Federation of Journalists issued a statement on October 19th, last year, condemning the intimidation and harassment of journalists in Kashmir and called for his immediate release.

The statement released by IFJ read, “Sajad Gul, a fourth freelance journalist and contributor to news websites The Kashmir Walla and Mountain Ink, was called in for questioning by authorities on October 13. Gul was questioned in relation to a video posted to his Twitter profile and a news report on the death of a young man in a gunfight on October 11. The video shows the deceased’s family claiming that police orchestrated the young man’s death. Gul was subsequently released after an hour of questioning.”

In a statement, the IJU president, Geetartha Pathak, “asks the Kashmir authorities to stop arresting and harassing journalists. If the pattern of attack on freedom of the press in Kashmir is not resisted this may be extended in other parts of the country. IJU, therefore, appeals to all stakeholders of freedom of press and freedom of expression to raise their voice against the onslaught on the journalists in Kashmir.”

Meanwhile, senior Journalist Majid Hydari, while talking to The Kashmiriyat about Sajad’s arrest said, “The arrest of journalist Sajad Gul is assault on the very idea of Fourth Estate. This condemnable action has actually vindicated the recent statement of honorable Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, who recently said: ‘In the contemporary world, performing your duty as a journalist is akin to dancing on razor’s edge.’ Adding that “Media fraternity must unite to seek his release.”

Senior Journalist Shahana Butt told The Kashmiriyat, “I think it’s the time when admin must issue a circular of do’s and do not’s for journalists.” She said, “On that basis, we will decide whether we have to pursue this profession or close our operations.” Adding, “As journalists, we don’t know what and what not hurts the government.”

The Kashmir Walla’s – where Sajad was working as trainee reporter– editor Fahad Shah said while talking to The Kashmiriyat that “Journalism is being criminalised in Kashmir for long now and more so recently. Sajad Gul has been first our contributor for over a year and last month joined us to work with us.”

He also said that “In past also, one of stories he did for us, he was booked for it. It is not criminal offence for a journalist to tell what people are saying. Administration should not punish the messenger but try to rather correct the issues that journalists highlight.”

In a tweet on Friday, Fahad said, “Another @tkwmag journalist, Sajad Gul, who recently joined, has been booked for “criminal conspiracy, incitement” & more. I strongly condemn this & stress that journalism shouldn’t be criminalised. Our legal team is working to seek his earliest release,” he said in a tweet.

A rough year – 49 Kashmir-based journalists were subjected to 32 incidents of harassment or intimidation.

The year 2021 was definitely rough for the journalist community of the Kashmir valley. Data recorded by The Kashmiriyat reveals that as many as 49 Kashmir-based journalists were subjected to 32 incidents of harassment or intimidation. These incidents of harassment ranged from snatching of ID Cards, physical assault, summons, FIRs, arrests, and raids at their residences.

In the month of August, Kashmiri Journalist Asif Sultan, who is lodged at Central Jail in Srinagar completed 3 years in jail.

In April, the Jammu Kashmir police issued an order banning the ‘live’ coverage of encounters between the government forces and militants.

In October, the Directorate of Information in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has decided to restrict the number of journalists for covering the functions of union ministers and other VVIPs to maintain discipline during the official events.

After blocking advertisements to Greater Kashmir– once the most circulated English daily of the valley, the officials removed them from the office in Srinagar’s press colony in October.

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