Kashmir journalist held over video of slogans by slain militant’s family

“On Wednesday (January 5), the Army raided our house twice. They were looking for Sajad,” the journalist’s older brother Javed Ahmad told The Indian Express. “He was not at home and was at the university. They (the Army) took his number.”

Dar is a journalism student at Central University of Kashmir, and writes for several newspapers in the Valley.

His brother said Dar returned home in the evening, after which he was taken away by the Army. “Till late night, we continuously called his number, but he did not pick up,” Javed Ahmad said. “At around midnight, someone took the call and said they are in the police station, and then dropped the call,” he added.

The raid on Dar’s house came three days after he shared on social media a video of slain militant commander Saleem Parray’s family. In the video, Parray’s family and neighbours could be heard raising slogans.

Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, said in an official release: “(The) so-called journalist runs a Twitter account in the name of Sajad Gull (and) is always in search of anti-government news.”

The IGP’s statement said Dar uploaded a video of “anti-national slogans” raised by “ some women folk, mostly relatives” of slain militant Parray, and “thereby tried to disrupt the peace”.

“The activities of the subject (Dar) are prejudicial to the security and sovereignty of the country,” the statement said.