FIR lodged against BBC producer

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jun 10: In a significant development, Srinagar Police have filed a

criminal complaint against BBC’s producer, Nayeema Ahmed Mehjoor, for allegedly holding Police responsible for the killing of a civilian near Press Enclave here on June 6^th. On her Facebook wall on June 7^th, Mrs Mehjoor had reportedly posted a question that has been interpreted by Police as a matter of “spreading disaffection” against it.

SHO Kothibagh, Inspector Shafeeq Ahmed, told Early Times that case FIR No: 51 0f 2011 Dated 09-06-2011 under section 66-A of Information Technology Act was filed against a producer of BBC Urdu Service, Nayeema Ahmed Mehjoor, yesterday. He said that the FIR was lodged on the basis of a Facebook post by the broadcaster in which she had approvingly suggested with a note of interrogation that the civilian, Mohammad Afzal Khan of Niharpora Sopore, had been killed by Police. SHO said that the post was tantamount to defaming Police and provoking people for violence against Police.

If established in a court of law, the offence would make the London-based Kashmiri broadcaster liable to punishment of three years of imprisonment besides fine in cash.

“Why did Police kill this businessman at Lalchowk today? Any reason?”, Nayeema had posted on her wall to generate a discussion.

Earlier today, IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai, revealed at a news conference that Police had taken suo moto cognizance and filed FIR against the BBC producer. He 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," 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.

IGP said three persons, namely Farooq Ahmad Dar, Parvaiz Ahmad Tantray and Shabir Ahmad Parray had 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 underway,” IGP claimed. He claimed that Police achieved the breakthrough within three days and established that a released militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, Farooq Ahmed Dar, had gunned down the civilian as part of a conspiracy to grab his money.

Meanwhile, talking to KNS over phone from London, Nayeema Mehjoor rejected the 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.

A resident of Srinagar, Nayeema Mehjoor has been working with BBC Urdu Service in London for the last over 20 years. She had earlier worked with All India Radio for few years. From 1967 to 1977, Nayeema had shot to fame while acting as ‘Nana Koor’, a child and adolescent character in then Radio Kashmir’s most popular seven-days-a-week family soap “Zoona Dab” (The Balcony).

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