Scribe booked for WhatsApp status on Wullar tragedy

Faces charges of attempting to cause riot, public mischief

The Jammu and Kashmir police has filed a first information report (FIR) against a journalist based in northern Bandipore district over a WhatsApp status which referred to over 20 schoolchildren who died due to drowning in Wullar, the Asia’s largest freshwater lake, in May 2006 as “martyred”. A female teacher and a peon had also died in the boat capsizing incident.

The WhatsApp status of Sajid Maqbool Raina, a reporter with local news agency — KNO — has the photographs of 20 of the victims with the caption, reading “Walur martyred…30th May 2006”. It also says, “The children share graves here. Brothers have been buried together, somewhere three children are buried in the same grave. The tragedy is still fresh. #Boat collapsed”. (sic)

The FIR registered at the Bandipore police station on May 31 under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot — if rioting be committed — if not committed ) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC accuses Sajid of uploading the “provocative post” on social media which may hurt the sentiments of the local people and could also disturb peace.

The sections of Valley’s media fraternity have expressed shock and dismay at the police action. However, a police official who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity said that the criticism is “unwarranted and misplaced.” He said, “The reporter has not used the word martyrs for the deceased children but martyred, implying they were deliberately killed”. He added, “However, the local police authorities are investigating the case and will ascertain if the status was uploaded with mala fide intent or not.”

A statement issued by the Bandipore police said that the reporter’s WhatsApp status “attracts investigation into the content and intention behind it.” It added, “It (FIR) was not against anyone’s profession particularly journalists as being circulated in social media.”

The death of the schoolchildren and two staff members of a private school of north-western Handwara town who were on excursion when the Indian Navy boat assault (BAUT) they took for the joyride capsized in the lake, had sparked off widespread protests and shutdowns in the Valley.