University of Kashmir scholar held 10 years after posting 'seditious' article

Srinagar, April 17

The newly constituted State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Sunday arrested a PhD scholar of the University of Kashmir for a “seditious” article he wrote in 2011.

Abdul Aala Fazili, 38, was arrested from his home at Humhama locality in Srinagar, an official said. Fazili had written an article titled ‘Shackles of Slavery Will Break’ in 2011 in ‘The Kashmir Walla’, an online magazine whose editor Fahad Shah is in jail. The SIA also raided the premises of ‘The Kashmir Walla’.

The SIA said Fazili’s article was “highly provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, and written with the purpose of abetting the youth to take the path of violence by glorifying terrorism”. It also “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 said.

The SIA, assigned with the duty of investigation and prosecution of terror-related cases, carried out the searches in connection with an FIR registered under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC against Fazili and the editor and other associates of the monthly digital magazine ‘The Kashmir Walla’, the official said.

He said the searches were conducted at the office of ‘The Kashmir Walla’ in Rajbagh and at 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 said.

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

Jailed journo’s premises searched

• A team of the NIA and the SIA searched the house and the office of jailed journalist Fahad Shah in Srinagar on Sunday.
• He is facing three cases for “glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news and inciting people to create law and order situation”.
• He got bail in two cases, but the administration had slapped the Public Safety Act before he could get bail in the third case.