SRINAGAR: Imran Ahmad Ganie, better known as Shahid Imran, the editor-in-chief of media outlet Kashmir Crown, was arrested on Friday and lodged behind bars after he managed to stay free on anticipatory bail in a case of fraud and extortion that surfaced a week ago.
Superintendent of Police Sopore Sudhanshu Verma told Kashmir Reader that Imran has been arrested and is behind bars. Imran’s colleague Ashfaq Mir was arrested in the same case last week after he was released on bail by a court in another case. The duo is currently lodged in the same police station.
Police in its official press release said that Imran has been arrested under FIR no 145/2021 under Sections 384 (extortion), 385 (Putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation.), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly) and 120B of the IPC.
Imran and Mir have been accused of blackmailing a woman who had been the source for a news item published by Kashmir Crown on drug abuse. According to the FIR, a copy of which is with Kashmir Reader, the accused duo of Mir and Imran breached the woman’s trust as her wish was not to reveal her name in any news item. Unprofessionally, they not only made her visible, causing her so much stress that she thought of committing suicide, but also later sought money from her in exchange for accepting her request to remove the news item from their website and social media sites. When it did not happen, the woman filed a case against the duo.
They are also accused of siphoning money they received from people to help downtrodden sections of society.
This money was collected by the media outlet and its Trust by publishing sob stories about families struck with calamities, especially of diseases and poverty. Emotionally charged videos used to be circulated on its social media pages to collect funds for poor families under Kashmir Crown Trust. About Rs 1.9 crore meant for the rehab of orphan girls is under question as it is being said that it has not been paid to the orphan girls.
Their work came under serious questions after their registered weekly Kashmir Crown remained irregular and erratic in publication while its social media remained abuzz with video stories. Such has been the popularity of these video stories that Imran has three offices in Kashmir, and a wide network of reporters.
When the media outlet has no cash flow in form of advertisements from the government, a main source of revenue for Kashmir newspapers, it becomes mysterious as to how Imran manages expenses. He has himself accepted that he is building a nursing home and commercial complex somewhere in north Kashmir. Who funds it remains unknown. It is well known that Imran comes from a modest family background.
Through various phone recordings which have recently surfaced on social media, it has become widely known that Kashmir Crown reporters have been blackmailing people for money.
Imran did not respond to several attempts by Kashmir Reader to contact him for his version before his arrest.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz