J&K: Govt Employee Booked For Seditious Posts On Social Media; Crackdown On Others On Anvil

Cyber Cell of J&K police has identified a person from Apple Town Sopore and sent him to jail on charges of inciting violence through social media.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

Srinagar: Cyber cell of Jammu and Kashmir police has started a crackdown on people who are misusing social media. Officials say that they have identified many persons, who according to police, are spreading ‘false’ propaganda against the government with the intention of disturbing peace. Cyber Cell of J&K police has identified a person from Apple Town Sopore and sent him to jail on charges of inciting violence through social media. The accused has been identified as Tahir Nazir Shalla, who is working as a Lecturer in the Higher Education Department of J&K government. Crackdown started after the photograph of the 3 year old child rescued from an encounter site was tweeted by the police and later on used by many people on social media to target police. Police say that a "false narrative" was generated on social media using the child, whose videos were used in the provocative videos accusing security forces of killing his grandfather. SSP Sopore, Javaid Iqbal had issued stern warning to these people under cyber laws. Police say that the person who has been arrested in Sopore, in contravention of social media policy for government employees, was running an ‘anti national’ campaign on social media and tried to create an ‘untrue’ and ‘fake’ narrative. The accused according to police was circulating highly seditious and provocative posts through his social media accounts which were highly prejudicial to peace and order. Cyber Police handed over the accused to police station Sopore where he got booked under relevant sections of law. Police says that a number of social media accounts running news portals and whatsapp groups have been identified. In the coming days, massive crackdown will be launched against such people, many masquendring as journalists, and news portals. As per media policy, all news websites, pages, portals and groups have to be registered with the government in the jurisdiction of J&K.