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Shehla Rashid has been booked for sedition. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
Activist Shehla Rashid has been booked under sedition and other criminal charges for allegedly spreading misinformation about armed forces in Kashmir. The FIR has been registered on the basis of a complaint by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.
On August 18, Rashid posted a series of tweets, out of which two have been mentioned by the complainant. The tweets alleged excesses by the forces against children and youths in the Valley.
In his complaint, Srivastava has said, “The allegations made by her are false, baseless and concocted. She has not provided any evidence of the torture…She is deliberately and intentionally spreading fake news with the intention to incite violence in the country and create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.” Srivastava said, “Shehla has maligned the image of the Indian Army. What I did was not out of politics.”
Police said the case has been transferred to the Special Cell. “We have received a complaint against the accused for spreading misinformation against the Army. We have registered a case and are probing the matter,” said Manishi Chandra, DCP (Special Cell). In a statement, Rashid said the FIR is “frivolous”, “politically motivated” and “an attempt to silence” her.
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Rashid is currently a member of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement, led by former IAS officer Shah Faesal.
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