PhD scholar arrested for 'highly provocative, seditious' article published in 2011 in Kashmir Walla

The Jammu and Kashmir state investigation agency arrested a Kashmir University PhD scholar on Sunday over a "highly provocative" and "sedition" article he had written for the Kashmir Walla in 2011.

The arrest took place after the agency conducted raids on the home of the scholar, Abdul Aala Fazili, as well as the Kashmir Walla office and the home of its editor Fahad Shah, who had been arrested in February. The raids were in connection with an FIR filed against Fazili, Shah and others over the 2011 article.

According to the Hindu, Fazili's arrest was over this article published on November 6, 2011.

The state investigation agency said it was "highly provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, written with the purpose of abetting the youth to take the path of violence by glorifying terrorism and on the other the write-up promoted and propagated the false narrative, which is essential to sustain secessionist cum terrorist campaign aimed at breaking the territorial integrity of India". It also cited "prescriptive language with instructional intent, encouraging secessionist elements to carry out terror activities".

Fazili was booked under the UAPA along with other penal sections. He is currently a PhD scholar in pharmaceutical sciences at Kashmir University.

The Kashmir Walla issued a statement on the raids, saying that during the raid on their office, officials "seized the laptops of two reporters, a Mac from the multimedia department, six hard drives that had backups, and five CDs".

The statement said: "We condemn the seizure of reporters’ gadgets and other equipment at the office and at Shah’s residence. We yet again call upon the Manoj Sinha-led administration to withdraw the charges against Shah and the work of Kashmir Walla."

Editor Fahad Shah was first arrested in Pulwama on February 4 for sharing "anti-national" content on social media. In March, he was booked under the Public Safety Act.