Scribe detained for ‘running’ suspicious Twitter account

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 17

A multimedia journalist, Kamran Yousuf, was allegedly briefly detained and questioned by the police in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

On Sunday night, Kamran Yousuf working with Newsclick, online video news network, was picked up from his home in Pulwama by the J&K Police.

Reportedly, a video of ailing Syed Ali Shah Geelani was uploaded by Kamran Manzoor on the social media, police sources said.

“They checked my phones and searched everything on it. They asked me about Kamran Manzoor and showed me his Twitter account. The police officer said they had suspicion that I was running it,” he added.

Yousuf said finally after failing to find anything, the police let him go at 1 am. “My distraught family members were waiting outside and took me home,” he added.

When contacted, Pulwama SP Ashish Kumar Mishra told the reporter to contact the media centre.

A police officer in Pulwama, however, said Yousuf was not detained or harassed. “It’s a lie. We did not arrest or harass him,” the police officer said.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Press Club (KPC) on Monday took serious note ofthe alleged harassment of the journalist.

“We demand that Home Minister Amit Shah and the J&K Administration should take note of the appalling conditions in which the press in Kashmir is working since August 5 last year. As such, it is once again urged that the constitutionally guaranteed Freedom of Expression and Speech be respected in the region by allowing the press and journalists to function freely,” the KPC spokesman said.

Kamran was arrested in 2017 by the National Investigation Agency for allegedly indulging in stone-throwing and mobilising support against security forces. He was, however, granted bail by the NIA special court.