J&K court orders FIR against Zee News, News18 for defaming deceased islamic teacher as 'terrorist'
Poonch/Srinagar, June 29, 2025: A court in Jammu and Kashmir has directed the police to register an FIR against Zee News, News18, Republic TV, and other unnamed editorial personnel for falsely branding a deceased Islamic seminary teacher as a "Pakistani terrorist." The case pertains to the death of Qari Mohammad Iqbal during cross-border shelling in Poonch earlier this year, The Wire has reported.
The order was issued on Saturday (June 28) by Sub-Judge Shafeeq Ahmed in Poonch district, following a petition filed by local advocate Sheikh Mohd Saleem under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The petitioner sought legal action over the defamatory media reports related to Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a teacher at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in Poonch.
Qari Iqbal was among 12 civilians killed during heavy artillery shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control on May 7, in the aftermath of India’s military action termed ‘Operation Sindoor’. Iqbal had reportedly gone out to purchase groceries for students when he was killed.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, several national television channels, including Republic World, News18, and Zee News, aired reports labeling Iqbal as a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and a “Pakistani terrorist.” Republic claimed he was involved in major attacks, including Pulwama, while News18 and Zee News echoed similar allegations.
These claims were widely protested by the local residents of Poonch, who described Iqbal as a respected religious teacher with no links to militancy. The Jammu and Kashmir police subsequently issued an advisory warning media houses of potential legal consequences for misreporting and spreading misinformation, particularly during a period of heightened tensions.
The court, in its order, observed: “An apology may have mitigating value at the stage of sentencing but does not preclude the statutory duty of police to register an FIR once a cognizable offence is disclosed.”
Citing Sections 353(2) (public mischief), 356 (defamation), and 196(1) (promoting enmity between religious groups) of the BNS, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, the court emphasized the seriousness of the false reporting. It directed the Poonch Station House Officer (SHO) to file a compliance report within seven days and conduct a “fair, impartial and time-bound investigation.”
The court underlined that the freedom of the press under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution is not absolute and must be exercised responsibly within the constraints of Article 19(2), which allows reasonable restrictions on grounds such as public order, defamation, and decency.
“Branding a deceased civilian teacher as a ‘Pakistani terrorist’ without verification, especially during Indo-Pak hostilities, cannot be dismissed as a mere journalistic lapse,” the court observed.
The misleading reportage, according to the court, had caused significant emotional harm to the bereaved family, damaged the reputation of the seminary, and hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community in the region.
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Confident we are going to win Kerala: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed confidence in the victory of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, saying the Congress-led alliance will win more than 75 seats out of the total 140 in the state.
Tharoor, who hails from Kerala, said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls, most of which predicted a victory for the UDF that has been out of power for 10 years in the state.
"We have been on the ground. I have campaigned in 59 constituencies across 12 districts out of 14. I was very confident we are going to win.
"Everything that I have picked up from not just my party colleagues and workers but also from other observers, media and others have always convinced me that we were going to score a comfortable win of above 75 seats. And all the (exit) polls have confirmed the same thing," he told reporters here.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls but in general he was not a big fan of exit polls in India.
"Because ours is not purely a homogenous society. We have to take into account gender issue, caste issue, class issue, regional disparities. You never get a convincingly large enough sample to give an accurate poll and now there is the additional complication that we have heard about in West Bengal this year that many people are unwilling to answer the questions of the pollsters," he said.
The Congress leader said normally, it used to be below 10 per cent that people said that they would not answer.
"Even if you are a reputable exit pollster, in Bengal, one polling company has said 60 per cent of people refused to answer. So, what is the worth of a poll where 60 per cent of your respondents have not answered," he said.
Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years, dethroning the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Polling for the 140-member Kerala assembly was held on April 9. Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, besides Kerala, will be announced on May 4.
