The Patiala House Court on Saturday extended the police custody of the two arrested youth, Photojournalist Kamran Yousuf and Javed Ahmad Bhat by four days. The duo was produced before Patiala House Court as their 10 days police custody ended today. They were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from South Kashmir–Javaid Ahmed from Kulgam and Kamran Yousuf from Pulwama.
According to the reports, the NIA had sought further 7 days police custody of the two arrested youth. However, the court granted only 4 days to the investigating agency.
The duo was arrested on September 5 on charges of stone pelting and spreading rumors by the NIA and were taken to New Delhi for interrogation.
Kamran Yousuf, who works as a freelance photo-journalist in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district is accused of uploading ‘Provocative ‘video on his Facebook profile while Javaid, a laborer by profession, is accused of instigating violence via WhatsApp.
Earlier on Thursday Press Council of India has taken a suo-motu cognizance regarding the arrest of the Yousuf and has given two weeks time to the respondents to reply to the notice.
The letter addressed to the NIA officials, officials of Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the matter is prima facie concerned with the freedom of press in the country.
Pertinently, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on September 10 had assured “all possible help” in the case of Kamran Yousuf.
The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund ‘terror activities’ in Kashmir.
In July, the NIA arrested seven separatist leaders – Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate – over money laundering charges to fund terror in the Kashmir Valley.
On August 17, the NIA arrested Zahoor Ahmed Watali, a prominent businessman of Kashmir.
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