The Jammu & Kashmir Police stated that Fahad Shah, editor of the prominent Srinagar-based news portal The Kashmir Walla, was detained on Friday for anti-national activities and sharing provocative content on the social media platform Facebook.
According to Jammu & Kashmir Police, he was arrested on Friday for social media posts that allegedly glorified terrorist activities and caused a “dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill-will and disaffection against the country”.
According to a statement released by the Pulwama district police, “some Facebook users and portals have been uploading anti-national content, including photographs, videos, and posts with criminal intention to create fear among the public and the content so uploaded can provoke the public to disturb law & order”.
The cops had already summoned Fahad three times over the magazine’s content. On January 31, he was called by the Pulwama police and released after interrogation.
On February 1, Shah was summoned by the police for interrogation. He was summoned to the Pulwama police station on February 4 to record his statement, after which the police released a statement confirming his detention. Shah was detained and placed in police custody, according to the police, during the course of the inquiry into the case under FIR No. 19/2022.
Fahad is the editor-in-chief of ‘The Kashmir Walla,’ an online news portal. The digital journal debuted in 2011. It claims to cover news and other socio-cultural concerns in J&K. The Kashmir Walla gained has been vocally opposing the Centre’s decision to withdraw J&K’s special status on August 5, 2019.
Last month, Sajad Gul, a trainee reporter with The Kashmir Walla, was also held for allegedly “provoking the people against the government and spreading animosity” through his tweets. Since then, Gul has been arrested under the Public Safety Act’s provisions.