Srinagar: Kashmir Editors’ Guild (KEG) has condemned the use of force against the scribes who were covering the gun battle at Marwal Pampore. At least one of them, Kamran Yousuf, was injured in the attack by the cops. Kamran works for a Delhi based news portal.

Kamran told reporters that he had gone to cover the encounter and well before he could start work, paramilitary men asked him to go away. As he was moving away from the spot, the security detail of a DySP rank police officer pounced upon him without any reason and beat him ruthlessly. He somehow fled and reached the hospital with the help of his colleagues where the doctors treated him. He will have to stay bed-ridden for many days owing to his leg injury.

KEG is condemning the use of force against the media persons. The editors’ body asked the authorities to permit media in delivering their professional duties. KEG is demanding the police leadership in Kashmir to sensitise the field staff about the operations of the media and investigate the Marwal assault.

Worth mentioning here the Marwal attack is not the first incident of its kind. In fact, it has emerged as a routine for the police and security forces to assault the journalists while covering the happenings on the ground.

The Guild wants the LG Jammu and Kashmir to personally look into the assault.

Reader correspondent