Over a month after his arrest, jailed journalist Fahad Shah has been booked beneath the Public Safety Act (PSA).
While Shah was arrested on February 4he was re-arrested by the J&Ok Police after he was bailed out by the courtroom twice.
On Monday, Shah was booked beneath the PSA that enables the federal government to place an individual behind bars with no trial for as much as a yr. “Sensing that the Hon’ble Court may grant bail as the recourse led against the accused do prima facie connect him with the commission of any offence, the authorities have taken to the J&K Public Safety Act,” tweeted Shah’s lawyer Umair Ronga.
Shah was arrested for his social media posts that allegedly “caused (a) dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill will and disaffection against the country”. “Fahad Shah is wanted in three cases for glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news and inciting general public for creating law and order situations,” the police had stated.
While Shah was initially remanded in 10-day police custody, he was bailed out by the NIA courtroom on February 26.
However, as an alternative of releasing him on bail, the J&Ok Police re-arrested him in one other case filed towards him in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. On March 5, the Shopian courtroom granted bail to Shah. And this time once more, the J&Ok Police re-arrested him in one other case registered towards him on the Safakadal police station in Srinagar. The case pertained to 2020. His lawyer had utilized for bail within the third case as effectively.
Shah, 33, is the editor of a web-based information portal, “The Kashmirwalla”, that additionally runs a weekly newspaper. He has additionally been contributing tales to varied worldwide newspapers and magazines.
Shah is the second journalist to be booked beneath the PSA this yr. Earlier, the J&Ok Police booked journalist Sajad Gul, a resident of north Kashmir’s Hajin, beneath the Act.
The PSA file of Gul listed out “apprehension that you may get bailed out by Hon’ble court of law” and that “you being well educated can use social media as a tool to provoke against the government establishment” as the 2 of the various causes for reserving him beneath the Public Safety Act. Gul was a journalism pupil and was additionally working as an intern with Shah’s “The Kashmirwalla”.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
