Journalist Fahad Shah who is currently booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and is currently lodged in Kupwara district jail has completed 55 days under incarceration.
On 4 February, Pulwama Police arrested him for social media posts “tantamount to glorifying the terrorist activities and causing dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill-will & disaffection against the country.”
Later, on February 26, when he secured bail in the case, he was taken to Imam Sahib police station in Shopian district, after being arrested in a case registered against a report carried by his portal in January 2021.
Subsequently, a week later, on March 05, Shah was granted bail by the Shopian magistrate. And later in the evening, he was arrested by Srinagar police.
Later, on March 14, Fahad was shifted to Soura police station. Of recent, i.e., on March 16, Fahad was moved to the Kupwara District jail.
The Jammu Kashmir police have stated that Fahad was “Propagating stories in a particular selective narrative which is in line with the ISI/separatist propaganda.”
The dossier also mentions “posting anti-national content,” as one of the allegations. Fahad has been found to be “working against the ethics of journalism” and misusing the profession “by posting anti-national content which has a multidimensional adverse impact on sovereignty and unity of country.”
Meanwhile three more Kashmiri Journalists are currently imprisoned in various jails across Jammu Kashmir and elsewhere.
Aasif Sultan, a Kashmiri Journalist was arrested in August 2018. He has been lodged in the Srinagar’s central jail since.
Manan Gulzar Dar aged 24, was summoned to the police station in Srinagar’s Batamaloo locality on October 10. Manan was later handed over to the National Investigating Agency and shifted to New Delhi.
Sajad Gull, a freelance journalist was arrested on January 05, 2022. He was later booked under PSA and shifted to the Kot Bhalwal jail of Jammu.