Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 9: Police today said that the four journalists who are being questioned in kashmirfight@wordpress.com blog case have links with the mastermind of the blog and they may face arrest in the case when evidence is collected.
A police spokesman said here that during the course of investigation of the case (FIR No. 82/2020 of Police Station Kothibagh), credible evidence was found which linked the four journalists with the mastermind who is behind the blog kashmirfight@wordpress.com.
Police said Mir Hilal son of Ghulam Ahmed Mir, resident of Bemina (Journalist- TRTworld), Mohammad Shah Abbas son of Abdul Khaliq Shah, resident of Yaripora, Anantnag presently putting up at Rajbagh (Freelance journalist), Azhar Qadri son of Farooq Ahmed resident of Bemina (Journalist-The Tribune) and Showkat Motta, son of Abdul Samad Motta resident of Lalbazar (Editor-in-chief of The Narrator & currently working at a wholesale shop)”, have links with the mastermind of the blog.
The spokesman said that on the basis of the evidences collected, searches were conducted yesterday at four different places after obtaining proper search warrants from the competent court of law. “During the searches, some mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets were seized”, police said.
“For the purpose of investigation, all four persons were called for questioning, allowed to go in the evening and have been directed to present themselves tomorrow again”, the spokesman added.
The spokesman said that the investigation is in progress and the scrutiny of electronic gadgets is also going on. “So far various numbers of Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi have been found. Besides, they are also found to have been in contact of various virtual numbers”, he added.
The spokesman said IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, denied it to be an issue of harassing journalists but a due process of law is being followed while investigating a sensitive case.
“He advised media fraternity not to spread false news or narrative which may amount to unnecessary interference in investigation of case. The involved persons would be arrested in this case as and when the evidences are collected”, the spokesman added.
In the meantime, the Journalist bodies have condemned the police raid against four journalists. A joint statement issued by journalist bodies said that the raids at the respective residences of these journalists is a stark reflection of how authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are targeting journalists.
“Journalists in Kashmir are working amidst immense pressure, especially since the last three decades. Many of our colleagues have lost their lives or sustained injuries while discharging their professional duties”, said the journalist bodies.”
They said that for the last few years the pressure on the journalists in Kashmir has mounted to unprecedented levels with dozens of incidents of attacks, harassment and intimidation by authorities that their colleagues have reported.
“Several journalists, especially for the last two years, were summoned, questioned and even booked under controversial laws while many were even asked to reveal their sources,” they added.
“The cases of harassment against Kashmiri journalists are growing with each passing day and no words are enough to indicate the levels of strain the media is facing. The assault on freedom of press in Kashmir continues and it appears condemnations made in each case by media groups have fallen on deaf ears in absence of any respite,” said journalist bodies.
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