United States-based non-governmental organisation Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday urged Indian authorities to “stop harassing” employees of Greater Kashmir, a newspaper in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The statement came amid reports that the National Investigation Agency questioned the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Fayaz Ahmed Kaloo in New Delhi for six days.
“Extensively questioning an editor about the content of published news stories goes way beyond any legitimate role for law enforcement and will only put a further chill on press freedom in Kashmir,” Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, said. “India’s National Investigation Agency should halt the investigation of Fayaz Kaloo and Greater Kashmir immediately.”
Some reports said Kaloo was questioned about several articles published in the newspaper during the unrest that followed the death of militant Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter in July 2016. The killing triggered massive protests and long curfews across the Valley during which 85 people were killed and thousands injured. But The Wire added that he was questioned in connection with terror funding in the state.
The investigating agency had initially summoned Kaloo on June 28 but he did not appear. He was then questioned from July 1.
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