Srinagar: A freelance journalist alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir police beat him up and arrested his father on Wednesday in Handwara, north Kashmir, after the scribe had called out the usage of “disgusting language” by the Station House Officer of Villagam police station.
Gowhar Ali Wani, a 21-year-old freelancer, told The Kashmir Walla, “Today, two policemen in civvies came to my house at about 5 pm and asked me to come with them. When I asked, ‘Why?’, they slapped me and assaulted in return.”
Earlier on Tuesday, as Mr. Wani alleged, his father was stopped by the local police officer and had threatened him of arresting Mr. Wani “if he continues to film and [click] photograph [of] incidents from there.”
Following this, Mr. Wani had written on his Twitter handle about the incident. “My father who was stopped by S.H.O villagam yesterday at dolipora. While using the rude language ‘Temes nechyes venzy camrea heat eazy ne phera nat Karen bea arrest Patt Baras marzewagan’ [Tell your son not to roam around with camera, I will arrest him and put chillies in him]. Such a disgusting language used by S.H.O villagam. If showing reality is [a] crime then sorry,” he wrote.
Today, he said, the police personnel came and assaulted him at his residence. “Also they pushed and broke my sister’s phone after she filmed them [policemen] assaulting me,” he added. Later, he again tweeted, “#IamAjournalist #NotAcrimnal”.
He also added that his father was taken from the residence and is currently in detention at the police station.
Sulaiman Khan, Station House Officer, Vilgaam, told The Kashmir Walla that the police has been asking him [Mr. Wani] to come to the police station. “I can’t divulge details of the matter until he is present here. You can speak to our senior officers for anything further,” he said.
