J&K journalist held for ‘harbouring terrorists’

“On 31/8/2018 Asif Sultan S/O Mohammad Sultan Saida R/O Firdousabad Batamaloo has been arrested by Police Station Batamaloo in case FIR No 173/2018,” a police statement said. “Initial questioning of the accused, subsequent searches and disclosures, made in the case, so far have led to seizure of incriminating materials from various locations. It also establishes his complicity for harbouring known terrorists involved in serious terror crimes. Further investigation of the case is going on.”

‘Kashmir Narrator’ Editor Showkat Motta told The Indian Express that Asif was framed. “This (police version) is a cock and bull story. They (police) are not happy with our reportage,” he said. “We have taken up his arrest with CPJ, IFJ and other global organisations. We will fight it in the court of law.”

Motta said that the police claimed he was arrested on Friday. “The fact is that they picked him up last Monday. He was with them for six days. I met him (Asif) in police lock-up. They (police) have been asking him about his stories, the books he reads. The police officer asked me what his political ideology is. I told him it is none of his business,” he said.