Kashmir University PhD scholar arrested for 'highly provocative and seditious' magazine article published in 2011

SRINAGAR: The State Investigation Agency (SIA), which has been constituted to investigate terror-related cases in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, conducted searches at several locations in Srinagar on Sunday.

The searches were conducted against the author of a seditious article, Abdul Aala Fazili, his editor and other associates of a monthly digital Magazine “The Kashmir Wala.” The article titled “The shackles of slavery will break” was written by Abdul Aala Fazili and published in the Monthly Digital Magazine “The Kashmir Walla” on 6th November 2011. 

A J&K police statement said, "Article is highly provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.” It added, "The article has used prescriptive language with instructional intent, encouraging secessionist elements to carry out terror activities."

The article titled “The shackles of slavery will break” written by Abdul Aala Fazili and published in the Monthly Digital Magazine “The Kashmir Wala,” on one hand, is highly provocative, seditious, and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, and on the other,  written with the purpose of abetting the youth to take the path of violence by glorifying terrorism. The article has used prescriptive language." 

Some tell-tale excerpts reproduced here are: "On the occasion of Eid Ul Azha, let us all pledge in the name of the blood of our martyrs and tears of mothers and sisters: that we shall always remember their sacrifices, that we shall never stop our struggle for freedom."

The searches for the collecting evidence, by the sleuths of SIA of J&K, were conducted in the office of The Kashmir Walla at Rajbagh and at the residence of Abdul Aala Fazili at main chowk Humhama and the residence of Fahad Shah (Editor of the monthly digital magazine) at Soura Srinagar. 

The arrest of PhD scholar Abdul Aala Fazili was made after the SIA conducted raids at his home in Humhama and the office of the digital magazine "The Kashmir Walla," police said. The search teams seized incriminating evidence, which included computers, laptops and other digital equipment. 

After the raids, a statement was issued by "The Kashmir Walla" Magazine condemning the raids, "The raids at shah's residence where his family lives started at 7.17 Am and state officials searched the entire house. While at the office the raids started nearly at 8.20 AM.” 

During the raid at The Kashmir Walla’s office, the officials seized the laptops of two reporters, a Mac from the multimedia department, six hard drives that had backups, and five CDs. They also checked the daily assignment dairies and phones of two reporters, who had reached the office during the raid. The Kashmir Walla staff co-operated with the officials during the raid and facilitated the formalities.

During the searches, a tablet device, and a voice recorder was also seized. “We condemn the seizure of reporters’ gadgets and other equipment at the office and at Shah’s residence. We yet again call upon the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration to withdraw the charges against Shah and the work of  “The Kashmir Walla,” the statement said. 

Fahad Shah was arrested on February 4 and later booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) on March 16, however, he got bail from court twice in two different cases. He is currently in prison at the Kupwara Jail in north Kashmir.

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