3 journalists allegedly beaten up during DDC polls, Kashmir Press Club seeks action
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Incident occurred after they raised an objection when no vote was allowed to be forged until 8.30 a.m. regardless of the polling time of seven a.m.
Three journalists had been allegedly beaten up whereas they had been masking the District Development Council (DDC) polls by a senior police officer in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday. The Kashmir Press Club (KPC) has requested the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to “take action against the officer”.
“We were at a polling station where no vote was allowed to be cast till 8.30 a.m. despite the polling time of 7 a.m. This we tried to raise with Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Choudhary, who objected to our presence. Without any reason, I and two other colleagues were slapped by the officer, pushed into a police vehicle and detained in the Srigufara police station,” journalist Mudasir Qadri, who works with News-18, mentioned.
Two different journalists allegedly beaten up had been recognized as Fayaz Lolu, of ETV Bharat, and Junaid Rafiq of TV 9. The journalists mentioned they had been detained for one-and-a-half-hour within the police station.
“One of our colleagues Junaid complained of breathlessness in the police station. He was shifted to a local hospital where his oxygen saturation was reading below 70 (the normal level is 90) and was put on an oxygen supply. He is stable now,” Mr. Qadri mentioned.
The journalists alleged that their tools was seized by the police and never returned.
The J&K Police has not issued any assertion on the incident to date.
The KPC, which strongly condemned the incident, referred to as for a “thorough inquiry into the incident”.
(*3*) a KPC spokesman mentioned, in an announcement.
The KPC additionally urged the authorities “to ensure an enabling atmosphere for the free and fair functioning of the media in Kashmir”.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti mentioned in a tweet, “Three journalists thrashed by security forces in south Kashmir today after interviewing a PAGD (Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) candidate who wasn’t allowed to cast his vote. Everything and anything that involves stating the truth is being criminalised in J&K.”
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