5 detained, let off after questioning
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 19: Police today carried out raids at several locations across the Valley including at residences of several journalists in a case related to online threats to Kashmir-based journalists and detained five of them who were later let off after questioning.
Srinagar police conducted simultaneous searches at various locations across Kashmir after recent online threats issued to a dozen journalists and employees of three Srinagar based media houses.
Police had earlier last week registered a case (FIR No. 82/2022) in Police Station Sherghari against handlers, active militants and associates of Lashkar-e-Toiba and its offshoot The Resistance Front for online publication and dissemination of direct online threats to journalists and reporters based in Kashmir.
The online threats were issued to 12 journalists including leading editors of the newspapers and employees of three Kashmir based media houses. Five journalists resigned following the threats.
A police spokesman said that during the investigation, each team comprised of 4-5 members and led by an Inspector or SI rank officer monitored by the SDPO concerned.
“The raids were supervised by SP South City Srinagar Lakshya Sharma and launched simultaneous searches at 12 locations across the Valley including the houses of fugitives like Sajjad Gul, Mukhtar Baba, active militants of LeT (TRF) and other suspects in Srinagar, Anantnag and Kulgam districts,” it read.
The premises which were raided and searched belonged to Advocate Mohammad Rafi at Nigeen, journalist Khalid Gul at Anantnag, journalist Rashid Maqbool at Lal Bazar, Momin Gulzar at Eidgah, Basit Dar at Kulgam, journalist Sajjad Kralyari at Rainawari, journalist Gowhar Geelani at Soura, journalist Qazi Shibli at Anantnag, Sajjad Sheikh alias Sajjad Gul at HMT Srinagar, Mukhtar Baba at Nowgam, journalist Waseem Khalid at Rawalpora and Advocate Adil Pandit at Khanyar Srinagar.
“During search, all legal formalities were followed professionally and consequent to the searches some suspects have been brought for examination and questioning. Seized materials by the respective search teams include mobiles, laptops, memory cards, pen-drives and other digital devices, documents, bank papers, rubber stamps, passports, other suspect papers, cash, Saudi currency etc,” it added.
It read the investigation in the instant case is in full swing and general public is requested to bring any information that is relevant to this case in the notice of Srinagar police.
Later, five of them Mohammad Rafi, Abu Adil Pandit, Rashid Maqbool, Waseem Khalid and Khalid Gul were detained by Police Station Shergari and questioned. They were, however, let off in the evening and an official said that nothing incriminating was found against them.
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