SRINAGAR: An Indian court on Monday gave a Kashmiri freelance journalist two days to appear before it over a police complaint that he had acted against the public interest by sharing information on social media about a militant attack on a policeman.

The complaint against Gowhar Nazir Geelani comes days after the editor of web portal Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah, was arrested for uploading on social media “anti-national content to provoke the public to disturb law and order”.

“I have granted him two days for appearance before the court,” magistrate Fida Mohammad Bhat said.

A summons issued to Geelani said that on Feb 1, following the wounding of the policeman by militants, the journalist “disseminated information on social media that would have endangered the life of the injured individual and other persons”. Geelani is also accused of sharing information that raised “serious security and breach-of-peace concerns”.

“I have strong apprehensions you will continue with such activities that will have an impact upon maintainability of peace and public tranquillity in my jurisdiction,” the summons read.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2022