A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Irfan Mehraj, an accused in a 2020 case of terror funding allegedly through NGOs, to 10 days of National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody.
Mehraj, a freelance journalist residing at Mehjoor Nagar in Srinagar, was arrested from Srinagar on March 20, and produced before Delhi’s Patiala House court where the agency had sought custody for a period of 12 days.
NIA had in a press release on Tuesday stated that, “Irfan Mehraj was a close associate of Khurram Parvez and was working with his organisation, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS). Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding terror activities in the valley and had also been in propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights.”
Also Read: Kashmir journalist arrested in NGO terror-funding case
Mehraj, according to his Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles, is an editor at a non-profit media outlet and his work has been featured in various national and international publications.
Mehraj’s arrest has drawn criticism from various netizens and politicians, who claimed that he was arrested for “telling the truth”.
Mehra’s arrest has evoked critical reactions from political leader Mehbooba Mufti and the Press Council of India.
PDP president Mufti in a Facebook post said, “While conmen are given a free run in Kashmir, journalists like Irfan Mehraj are arrested for doing their duty by speaking the truth. Draconian laws like UAPA are abused constantly to ensure that the process itself becomes the punishment.”
Press Club of India (PCI) in a statement said, “We vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons. The misuse of this draconian law by NIA in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj, a journalist from Kashmir, ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression. We demand his immediate release.”