Court frames charges in SIA case against scribe, scholar for writing, publishing ‘seditious’ article
Jammu, Mar 18 (PTI) In a first, a designated court here has framed charges against a journalist and a university scholar for writing and publishing a "seditious" article on a news portal.
The case against arrested journalist Peerzada Fahad Shah and Kashmir University scholar Abdul Ala Fazili was probed by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), which successfully brought it up to the stage of framing charges, an official said.
He said the special judge designated under the NIA Act, Ashwani Kumar, framed the charges against Shah and Fazili on Thursday.
The case pertains to information received by the CIJ police station (SIA-Jammu) on April 4 last year, along with a copy of an article titled "The Shackles of Slavery Will Break", written by Fazili and published in digital magazine (portal) 'The Kashmir Walla' through its editor-in-chief-cum-director Shah, according to the official.
"The duo, under an active conspiracy and Pakistan's support, resurrected a platform reviving the narrative in support of the terrorist and separatist ecosystem. They were spreading an anti-India narrative by exploiting digital platforms under a concealed and camouflaged set up with the help of illicit funding received from hostile foreign agencies and proscribed terrorist organisations," he said.
After hearing the contentions, the court found sufficient material collected by the SIA against the accused and framed charges against Fazili and Shah.
Fazili has been charged under sections 13 (unlawful activity) and 18 (conspiracy, advocating, abetting, inciting, facilitating a terrorist act or any preparation to commit a terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections 121 (abetting waging of war against the Government of India), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Shah has been charged under sections 13 and 18 of the UAPA, IPC sections 121 and 153B and sections 35 (accepting foreign contribution in contravention of provisions of FCRA, or any order or rule therein) and 39 (violation of FCRA by a company tantamount to contravention by the persons incharge or responsible for business of such company) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, the official said.
He said the probe has established that the accused were in touch with secessionists across the border and also with some local terrorists.
"Through their publications, they have brazenly advocated terrorism and glorified terrorists with the sole intention to radicalise youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir and entice and incite them in joining secessionist and terrorist organisations," the official said.
He said the SIA filed a chargesheet in the case in the special judge's court on October 13 last year after procuring the requisite government sanction.
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House of Nagpur violence key accused likely to be demolished
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Nagpur (PTI): Civic authorities are on Monday likely to demolish the illegal portions of a house of Fahim Khan, a key accused in the Nagpur violence who has been booked for sedition, after he failed to remove the unauthorised structure.
Khan, a leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), is among the over 100 persons arrested for the violence in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on March 17.
A few days back, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Khan, citing various lapses and lack of the building plan approval (for his house), sources said.
The house, located at Sanjay Bagh Colony in Yashodhara Nagar area here, registered in the name of Khan's wife, they said.
MDP city chief Khan is currently lodged in a jail.
The violence erupted on March 17, after rumours spread that a ‘chadar’ with religious inscriptions had been burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The clashes resulted in widespread stone-pelting and arson across several parts of the city, leaving 33 police personnel, including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers, injured.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the cost of properties damaged during the violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses.
"My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly," said Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Ministry.
The CM said those who circulated inflammatory content would be charged as co-accused for their role in inciting violence.
Fadnavis also said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi link to the riots as the probe was underway.
"However, the Malegaon connection can be seen (in violence) as one of the accused belongs to a political party from Malegaon who could be seen helping rioters," he said without taking the name of Fahim Khan, arrested for sedition.
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