NIA Arrests Kashmir Journalist, PCI Demands His Release

NIA Arrests Kashmir Journalist, PCI Demands His Release

New Delhi: The Press Club of India on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of journalist Irfan Mehraj, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in connection with a funding case.
“We vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons. The misuse of this draconian law by NIA (National Investigation Agency) in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj, a journalist from Kashmir, ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression. We demand his immediate release,” the Press Club of India said on Twitter.
Earlier the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the “close associate” of a human rights activist in connection with its ongoing investigation into an NGO militant funding case here, an official said.
Irfan Mehraj, a resident of Srinagar, was the first accused arrested following “comprehensive investigations” into the NGO funding case registered in October 2020, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. He was working as a journalist.
“Mehraj was a close associate of (human rights activist) Khurram Parvez and was working with his organisation, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS),” he said.
The agency alleged that the investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding militant activities and had also been propagating a secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of the protection of human rights.
“Involvement of some Valley-based NGOs, Trusts and Societies in funding of (militancy)-related activities is being probed in this case,” the spokesperson said.
The official said some NGOs, both registered as well as unregistered, have been noticed collecting funds domestically and abroad under the cover of doing charity and various welfare activities, including public health and education.
“But some of these organisations have developed links with organisations, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM),” the spokesperson said. Mehraj was working as a freelance journalist.
Parvez was arrested in November 2021 by the NIA and chargesheeted on May 13 next year along with six others for alleged anti-national activities including collecting information regarding vital installations and deployment and movement of security forces, procuring official secret documents and passing the same to LeT handlers through encrypted communication channels for “monetary” consideration. (PTI)
(PTI)

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