‘Highly Provocative And Seditious’: Kashmir University PhD Scholar Arrested For Article Published In 2011

The official said Fazili's article, titled 'The shackles of slavery will break', is "highly provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir

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New Delhi: A PhD scholar from Kashmir University was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Sunday over a “highly provocative and seditious” article in an online magazine, said an official, reported by news agency PTI. 

Abdul Aala Fazili was arrested from his Humhama residence as the SIA conducted searches at several locations in the city as part of its crackdown on terror and anti-national networks, the official said.

The scholar was arrested for his write-up published in the year 2011 by online magazine The Kashmir Walla, reported the Hindu. 

The SIA, assigned with the duty of investigation and prosecution of terror-related cases, carried out the searches in connection with an FIR registered under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC against Fazili and the editor and other associates of monthly digital magazine 'The Kashmir Walla', the official said.

The searches were conducted at the Kashmir Walla’s office in Rajbagh and at the residences of Fazili in Humhama and arrested editor Fahad Shah in Soura, the official added. 

"The search teams have seized incriminating evidence, including material in computers, laptops and other digital equipment," the official said.

The official said Fazili's article, titled 'The shackles of slavery will break', is "highly provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, and written with the purpose of abetting the youth to take the path of violence by glorifying terrorism". It also "promoted and propagated the false narrative, which is essential to sustain secessionist-cum-terrorist campaign aimed at breaking the territorial integrity of India."

"The article has used prescriptive language with instructional intent, encouraging secessionist elements to carry out terror activities," the official said.

Repeated reference to freedom an terror outfits’ rhetoric in the write up makes it clear that the article is not merely propoganda, said the official."Rather, it is the articulation of Pakistan ISI and the vision of its sponsored terrorist secessionist networks." 

Fazili received Rs 30,000 per month through Maulana Azad National Fellowship for five years till March 2021 to complete his research work in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and also to sustain himself, the official added.