Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency arrests scholar for ‘extremely seditious’ journal article

By PTI

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Sunday arrested a PhD scholar of the University of Kashmir for a “highly provocative and seditious” article in an internet journal, an official mentioned.

Abdul Aala Fazili was arrested from his Humhama residence because the SIA carried out searches at a number of places within the metropolis as a part of its crackdown on terror and anti-national networks, the official mentioned.

The SIA, assigned with the obligation of investigation and prosecution of terror-related instances, carried out the searches in reference to an FIR registered underneath varied sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC in opposition to Fazili and the editor and different associates of month-to-month digital journal ‘The Kashmir Walla’, the official mentioned.

The official mentioned the searches have been carried out on the workplace of ‘The Kashmir Walla’ in Rajbagh and on the residences of Fazili in Humhama and arrested editor Fahad Shah in Soura. “The search teams have seized incriminating evidence, including material in computers, laptops and other digital equipment,” the official mentioned.

The official mentioned Fazili’s article, titled ‘The shackles of slavery will break’, is “extremely provocative, seditious and supposed to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, and written with the aim of abetting the youth to take the trail of violence by glorifying terrorism”.

It additionally “promoted and propagated the false narrative, which is essential to sustain secessionist-cum-terrorist campaign aimed at breaking the territorial integrity of India”. “The article has used prescriptive language with instructional intent, encouraging secessionist elements to carry out terror activities,” the official mentioned.

The official mentioned the repeated reference to freedom and terror outfits’ rhetoric make it amply clear that the article will not be merely propaganda. “Rather, it is articulation of Pakistan ISI and the vision of its sponsored terrorist secessionist networks,” he mentioned.

The official mentioned the central authorities paid Fazili Rs 30,000 per thirty days for 5 years until March 2021 by the Maulana Azad National Fellowship in order that he can maintain himself and full his PhD within the division of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the college.