A “real journalist” should cover development activities by the Indian government, inaugurations of hospitals and schools, and statements of ruling parties, suggests a charge sheet filed by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) in January. The agency cited the lack of these coverings to say that Kamran Yusuf of the Kashmir Valley was not a “real journalist”, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

Kamran Yusuf, a 24-year-old freelance photojournalist, was arrested in September 2017 for his alleged involvement in “stone-pelting incidents”. He has been in police custody ever since. The NIA filed the charge sheet on January 18 against 12 people, including Yusuf, and produced the charge sheet in a local court on Thursday during the hearing of his bail petition.

Yusuf had sought relief saying he was present at stone-pelting sites merely because he was covering those incidents, PTI reported. The NIA has alleged he was acting as a conduit for those involved in terror funding.

“Had he been a real journalist or stringer by profession, he may have performed one of the moral duty [sic] of a journalist, which is to cover the activities and happenings [good or bad] in his jurisdiction,” the charge sheet read.

“He had never covered any developmental activity of any government department/agency, any inauguration of a hospital, school building, road, bridge, statement of a political party in power or any other social/developmental activity by a state government or the government of India.”

The charge sheet also said Yusuf had the intention to cover only “anti-national” activities and earn money through this, as he had “hardly taken any video” of social work done by the Indian Army in the Kashmir Valley.

The NIA also said Yusuf was not a professional as he had not received training from any institute.

Yusuf’s counsel called the charge sheet an “abuse of the process of law”. “There is nothing in the charge sheet against my client,” she said, according to PTI.

“It only claims that he was in contact with other journalists but does not show any conspiracy with the other co-accused in the case. They are trying to gag the media through his custody. Now the NIA is trying to teach what journalism means.”

Yusuf’s lawyer also said he had clicked many pictures that satisfy the NIA’s definition of a “real journalist”. The court will next hear the petition on February 19.

This article was originally published on Scroll.in and has been reproduced with permission.