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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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
