Woman photojourno booked under UAPA

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, April 20

The Jammu and Kashmir police have invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and registered a case against a young freelance female photojournalist for allegedly uploading anti-national posts on her social media accounts.

A person charged under the Act can be jailed for up to seven years in this regard.

“The Cyber police station received information through reliable sources that one Facebook user, namely Masrat Zahra, was uploading anti-national posts with criminal intention to incite youths and to promote offences against public tranquility,” a police statement read.

“The Facebook user is also believed to be uploading photographs which can provoke the public to disturb law and order. The user is also uploading posts that tantamount to glorifying anti-national activities and dent the image of law-enforcing agencies, besides causing disaffection against the country,” it added.

The police said investigation had begun in this regard. Zahra has been contributing to various news organisations. In 2018, while covering an anti-militancy operation, her picture went viral on social media and someone called her a “spy”. She had later received death threats.

Zahra was initially contacted by the cyber cell on Saturday evening and told to appear before the police immediately.

Meanwhile, the invoking of the UAPA against the photojournalist has caused outrage among journalists here.