DIGIPUB Flays J&K Admin's Threat of Legal Action Against The Chenab Times

New Delhi: The DIGIPUB News India Foundation, a coalition of over 90 digital news outlets and individual independent journalists nationwide, expressed deep concern over the Jammu & Kashmir administration’s threat of legal action against digital news outlet, The Chenab Times. The threat came after a video report on the detention of a Doda-based activist was published in the news outlet’s Facebook page.

DIGIPUB Condemns Threat Of Legal Action Against The Chenab Times pic.twitter.com/DiPfDDGLwV

— DIGIPUB News India Foundation (@DigipubIndia) November 15, 2024

DIGIPUB condemned the move against the Doda-based news outlet, saying it was “an attempt to stifle press freedom”, adding that “it was unclear as to even what story the J&K Administration “objected” to”.

The Chenab Times had recently published a report covering the detention of a local activist from Doda under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The J&K administration’s department of information and public relations in Doda, in a letter dated November 12, 2024, titled “irrelevant post”, alleged that the video content “prejudiced the due process of law,” and created “rumours” and portrayed the district’s administrative procedures in a “bad light,” claiming it risked public order.

According to a report in The Wire, the district information officer (DIO), Doda, warned of legal action against The Chenab Times for publishing the video report about the detention of Rehamatullah, a Doda-based activist, allegedly for raising civic issues.

In response to the letter, The Chenab Times, defended the report saying that it carried the views of the district administration and that its reporting never led to any law and order situation, the DIGIPUB statement read.

“We want to ask what the legal basis is for the Doda district information officer summoning a news outlet and demanding documents regarding the “authority of your media agency,”, said the DIGIPUB statement.

As per a report in The Wire, “in the nearly 16-minute-long video, reporter Raja Shakeel mentioned that Rehamatullah was booked under the PSA for the second time.” 

The DIGIPUB statement also objected “the tone and content of the letter” calling it “yet another attempt by the J&K administration to silence critical reporting and prevent reporters from questioning the authorities.”

“We …ask the Department of Information and Public Relations, Doda, to withdraw the letter and cease harassing The Chenab Times,” it stated.

The foundation also expressed outrage over the harassment of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting that the region’s reporters have been subjected to searches, detentions, criminal charges under stringent laws and even extended imprisonment.