Police arrest journalist Sajad Gul on charges of ‘disturbing public peace’

Srinagar Jan 8: Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested journalist Sajad Gul for allegedly provoking people to “resort to violence and disturb public peace”, officials said.

A police spokesman, in a statement, said that Sajad Gul “uploaded the objectionable videos with anti-national slogans raised by some women folk on the day when most wanted terrorist Saleem Parray was eliminated in Shalimar Srinagar”.

“…the said person under the garb of journalist [sic] is habitual of spreading disinformation/false narratives through different social media platforms in order to create ill will against the government by provoking general masses to resort to violence and disturb public peace and tranquility,” added the statement.

The spokesman said that Gul operates a Twitter account and always tweets against the government. “Sajad Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Mohd Dar, a resident of Shahgund Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, “so called journalist”, operates a twitter account in the name of Sajad Gull and is always propagating against the government and uploads tweets not based on facts in order to provoke the people against Govt and to spread animosity, ill will among the people & against the Nation,” read the statement.

As per police, during the encroachment drive carried out by Revenue Department last year in Sajad’s native village, “he instigated the locals against the said lawful drive as a result of which the officials were restrained in discharging their legitimate official duties”.

A case FIR No. 12/2021 U/S 147, 447, 336, 353/IPC was registered against him and after producing charge-sheet the case is subjudice in the court of JMIC Sumbal.

The statement further said that Gul “was also involved in spreading disinformation campaign through fake tweets/narratives regarding recent anti-terrorist operation in Gundjahangeer in which one local terrorist namely Imtiyaz Ahmad was eliminated, thereby trying to provoke the locals against the Army and Police”.

A case FIR No. 79/2021 U/S 120B, 153B, 505/IPC stands registered against him which is under investigation, police said.(GK)