Kashmir tweets: Shehla Rashid gets interim protection from arrest in sedition case

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File photo of Shehla Rashid.

New Delhi, September 10: In a relief to Kashmiri political activist Shehla Rashid, Delhi court on Tuesday granted her interim protection from arrest in the sedition case. Shehla Rashid has been booked for her social media posts about alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Delhi Police on September 6 had lodged the case against Shehla Rashid under sedition law. Delhi’s Patiala House Court, however, on Tuesday, granted interim protection from arrest.

The FIR against Shehla Rashid was registered under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intention to cause riot), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (spreading rumours) of the Indian Penal Code for her remarks on the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by an SC lawyer on allegations of defaming Indian Army through her tweets.

Earlier, Shehla Rashid had claimed that the Army was indiscriminately picking up men, raiding houses and torturing people in Jammu and Kashmir. In a series of tweets, Shehla Rashid had claimed that human rights abuses were being carried out in Kashmir to serve the agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Her allegations had drawn sharp criticism from the government and the Army. Shehla Rashid, however, had said she was ready to give the evidence when the Army constitutes an inquiry.

THE ALLEGATIONS

Shehla Rashid had accused the Indian Army of human rights abuses amid a clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370.

People are saying that Jammu and Kashmir Police has no authority on law and order situation. They have been rendered powerless. Everything is in the hands of paramilitary forces. One SHO was transferred on the complaint of a CRPF man. SHOs carrying batons. Service revolvers can’t be seen on them,” Shehla Rashid had tweeted.

In another post, she wrote, “Armed forces are entering houses at night, picking up boys, ransacking houses, deliberately spilling rations on the floor, mixing oil with rice, etc.”

WHAT THE ARMY SAID

The Army has officially rejected Shehla Rashid’s claims and called them “baseless” and “unverified”.

After the Army dismissed her claims, many accused Shehla Rashid of spreading fake news to disrupt peace in Kashmir.

Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava filed a criminal complaint against Shehla Rashid over her allegations on the situation in Kashmir.