J&K HC stays FIR against TOI journalist

SRINAGAR: Upholding the freedom of press, the Jammu and Kashmir high court on Monday stayed the proceedings of an FIR against TOI’s Srinagar correspondent

Mohammad Saleem Pandit

over his news report about stone-pelting attacks on tourist vehicles in April.


The FIR was based on a complaint of 10 local travel agencies that claimed the report about the attacks on tourist vehicles on April 1 and 2, in which four women were injured, was “fake news”.

J&K Police also denied the incidents and on April 2, registered an FIR against Pandit under Section 505 (1b) of the RPC, which pertains to propagating news with an “intent to cause fear or alarm to the public”.

However, the police “rebuttal” itself admitted that two tourists had been injured. After hearing the petitioner’s counsel Javid Iqbal, Justice M K Hanjura stayed the FIR proceedings and issued notices to the state respondents to file objections on May 29.