Police have filed a case against a London-based BBC journalist of Kashmiri origin on the charges of spreading �disaffection�, following the death of a businessman at Lal Chowk here earlier this week.
Addressing a press conference here, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, S M Sahai said, �A case has been registered against foreign-based journalist of Kashmiri origin Naeema Ahmad Mehjoor for spreading disaffection as she had claimed that the shooting at Lal chowk on June 6 was carried out by the police.�
Mehjoor has been booked under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act; using the IT for spreading dissatisfaction against the state.
Sahai also said it was wrong to link the shooting at the Lal Chowk as revival of militancy in the summer capital.
�It is not a militancy related case. It was a criminal conspiracy arising out of a land dispute in which a released militant was involved," the IGP said.
He said involvement of released militants in criminal activities was worrisome.
�It is leading to criminalization in the society which needs to be stopped,� Sahai said.
Talking to KNS over phone from London, Mehjoor rejected police claims. �I didn�t blame police on Facebook, but quoted some media reports as why police will kill the businessman. Police should have looked into what I had written on the Facebook and then reacted.�
�As a journalist, I am working for peace,� she claimed.
Meanwhile, three persons Farooq Ahmad Dar, Parvaiz Ahmad Tantray and Shabir Ahmad Parray have been arrested by the Police in the case so far. �Weapon of offence (Pistol) has also been recovered at their instance. Search of other persons involved in the conspiracy is on,� the IGP claimed.