Shehla Rashid Booked for Sedition Over Tweets on Kashmir Situation

Rashid has also been charged with spreading “fake news” with the intention to “malign the image of Indian Army.”

File image of Shehla Rashid.

(Photo: PTI)

Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement leader Shehla Rashid has been booked for sedition over her tweets alleging that the armed forces "tortured" civilians and "ransacked" houses in the Valley after Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked, police said on Friday, 6 September.

She has also been charged with spreading “fake news” with the intention to “malign the image of Indian Army”, they said.

In a series of tweets on 17 August, Rashid had alleged that the armed forces entered houses in Kashmir at night and "ransacked" them. She had also alleged that four men were called to an Army camp in Shopian and "interrogated (tortured)".

Later, Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava had field a complaint with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, saying that the allegations levelled by the former JNU student leader were "absolutely false and concocted".

After the complaint was received, it was handed over to the Delhi Police's Special Cell for inquiry, the police said.

Rashid has been booked under section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on September 3, they said.

‘Frivolous, Politically Motivated’

Rashid, however, stood by her comments and said that she can give proof if the Indian Army was to initiate an inquiry into her claims.

On Friday, she responded to news of her charge, with a statement on Twitter. She said that the FIR against her was “frivolous and politically motivated.” She added the Indian government had always undermined the authentic leadership of Kashmir.