HC Directs SP Kot Bhalwal To Facilitate Journalist Sajad Gull’s Appearance in Exams.

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Thursday directed the Superintendent of Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu to facilitate detained journalist Sajad Gull’s appearance in examination to be conducted by Central University of Kashmir.

The court passed the direction in an application filed by Dar seeking direction upon the Superintendent of Central Jail, Kotbalwal, Jammu of making necessary arrangements for facilitating his appearance in the 3rd Semester MACJ examination to be conducted by Central University of Kashmir which will start from March 04, 2022.

In this regard, the Court of Justice Sanjay Dhar while disposing of the application directed the Superintendent of Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu to explore the possibilities of making necessary arrangements for the petitioner’s examination. 

On 6th January this year, Sajad Gull of Shahgund Hajin, Bandipora was arrested after he posted a video of family members raising slogans after the killing of their kin, a militant, in a military operation in Srinagar.

However, after nine days of arrest, the court of Judicial Magistrate in Sumbal granted bail to Gul on January 15, 2021. Later, he was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu.

The charges against Gull are 120B (party to criminal conspiracy), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 505B (fear or alarm to the public) sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

As per the police statement, Sajad Ahmad Dar runs a twitter account in the name of Sajad Gull is always in search of anti-government news and uploads tweets, which are not based on facts in order to provoke the people against the government and to spread enmity against the country among people.

“Last year encroachment drive was carried out by the revenue department in his native village wherein he has instigated the locals against that drive and restrained the officials in discharging their legitimate duties,” it alleges.

To this effect, it stated, a case under FIR number 12/ 2021 under section 147, 447, 336, 353/IPC stands registered against him and the final charge sheet against him has been produced before the court of JMIC Sumbal for judicial determination.

“The subject has spread by virtue of his false tweets and fake narrative regarding the recent anti-militancy operation in Gundjahangeer in which one local militant namely Imtiyaz Ahmad was killed thereby provoking the locals against the Army and Police. In this regard, a case under FIR number 79/2021 under section 120B, 153B, 505/IPC stands registered against him,” the police said in the statement.

It further added, “The day when the most wanted militant Saleem Parray was killed in Shalimar Srinagar, Sajad uploaded the videos of anti-national slogans by some women folk, mostly relatives, at the residence of the slain in Hajin, thereby trying to disrupt the peace. His activities are prejudicial to the security and sovereignty of the country.”