Called in for questioning on February 4, 2022, to a Police station in Pulwama and later arrested, Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah completed five hundred days under detention on Sunday.
Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah’s Public Safety Act was quashed by Jammu Kashmir High Court on April 13, 2023.
Fahad, a resident of Soura locality of Srinagar is currently lodged at Kot Balwal jail of Jammu, where he has been lodged since June 2022, nearly 300 kilometers away from his residence.
Several organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had called upon the Indian Government to release the incarcerated journalist, however, despite a year having passed since his arrest the journalist continues to remain under detention.
Pertinently, on February 04, 2022, 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 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.
On March 16, Fahad was moved to the Kupwara District jail and then on June 09, he was shifted to Kot Balwal jail after he had been earlier booked under the Public Safety Act.
In the many allegations leveled against journalist Fahad Shah in the Public Safety Act (PSA) dossier, submitted before the District Magistrate of Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir police has 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.
Several organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had called upon the Indian Government to release the incarcerated journalist, however, despite a year having passed since his arrest the journalist continues to remain under detention.
The Editors Guild asked the state authorities to ensure that first information reports, intimidatory questioning, and wrongful detainment was not used as tools for suppressing press freedom.