Mir Junaid
A journalist was allegedly manhandled by Government Forces in the Sopore area of Baramulla district in North Kashmir.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Peerzada Tahir, a journalist from North Kashmir said, that a Policeman hit him on his head when he was on the way to cover an event in the Sopore area.
“I was stopped by Police personnel when I was on the way to cover an event and he soon started abusing me without any provocation. In the middle of the conversation, the Policeman hit me on my head,” Tahir alleged.
He said that the SSP of Sopore has promised action against the cop if found guilty.
Meanwhile, the Sopore Media Association has denounced the thrashing of the journalist and said, “Peerzada Tahir stopped by police near Bus stand Sopore and manhandled despite showing a press identity card and Covid19 curfew pass, the cop in return used cuss words against him and against Media.”
The Sopore Media Association President condemned the act while demanding immediate action taken against the accused cop.
On May 10, The Kashmiriyat reported, that a photojournalist named Saqib Majeed was also beaten in a similar incident when he told the Government Force personnel that he was a journalist.
“As soon as I got out of my car, they stopped me from taking any photographs and asked me to disclose my permission for roaming in the lockdown,” Saqib had said, adding, “I am a journalist and the Inspector General of Police has said that our press ID cards will be treated as a curfew pass.”
The Inspector-General of Jammu Kashmir Police for Kashmir range had earlier ordered that the press identity cards of Journalists would be taken for Curfew passes to avail free movement of Journalists during the ongoing lockdown imposed in the region in view of the rising covid 19 cases.