‘Detained under Public Safety Act’: J&K portal under scanner for report on activist’s detention

“The contented of your video intelligibly pitches elected representatives against administration,” reads the announcement issued to The Chenab Times, a quality portal from Doda district. “The code and contented of your video tried to enactment the administrative process successful a atrocious airy and empathised with the idiosyncratic who has been booked nether applicable laws/norms by pursuing owed process of law,” it states.

On November 10, activistic Rehmatullah Padder of Doda was booked nether the PSA by the territory administration, which accused him of being an overground idiosyncratic (OGW) and citing 5 FIRs against him. Padder’s household and colleagues, however, said helium was booked for exposing alleged corruption successful a sewage attraction plant.

His detention was besides criticised by Doda MLA Mehraj Malik. “This young antheral is detained nether PSA today, yesterday helium raised questions connected territory medication for their failure. This country couldn’t beryllium cleaned but helium is arrested now. This is Swachh Bharat of Modi,” Malik posted connected X, urging the main curate to set-up a “judicial oregon ineligible committee to analyse the dossier’s authenticity” arsenic “most cases are quashed successful the archetypal proceeding arsenic they are often rooted successful revenge”.

Responding to the nationalist outcry implicit the detention, the territory medication asked radical “not to beryllium misguided”. “It is to clarify that an OGW has been detained aft pursuing owed process of instrumentality connected grounds wholly antithetic from what is being circulated connected societal media. Request to wide public/prominent citizens and elected representatives not to beryllium misguided successful (the) supra stated case,” the Doda District Administration posted connected Facebook.

In a video report, The Chenab Times newsman said that the territory administration’s station is ostensibly successful effect to Malik’s station connected X.

“It (the Facebook post) didn’t sanction immoderate legislator,” District Information Officer Nasir Khan told The Indian Express. “Journalism should beryllium ethical and peaceful. How tin idiosyncratic criticise the administration?” said Khan, who issued a announcement to the online quality portal.

Asked whether helium believes the medication and its decisions are supra criticism, Khan said helium is “just a cog successful the wheel”. “I got directions from above, from the territory administration, and lone followed them,” helium said. “Please inquire the territory medication astir it.”

The Doda Deputy Commissioner, Harvinder Singh, who slapped the PSA against the activist, said it is simply a 15-day-old quality and immoderate “vested interests” privation to item it.