Criminal complaint against Shehla Rashid for accusing Indian Army of 'torturing' locals in J&K

Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava filed a criminal complaint  against activist and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement leader Shehla Rashid over her allegations against the Army on the situation in Kashmir.

Demanding immediate arrest and stringent action against Rashid, Srivastava said her comments incited dissatisfaction towards the Government of India, which is prima facie an offence of Sedition under Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Rashid, in a series of tweets posted on the night of August 18, accused the Indian Army of “torturing” locals in the garb of “interrogating” them and creating an “environment of fear” in Shopian, located in southern Kashmir.

She even said “Armed forces were entering houses at night” and “picking up boys”.

10) In Shopian, 4 men were called into the Army camp and "interrogated" (tortured). A mic was kept close to them so that the entire area could hear them scream, and be terrorised. This created an environment of fear in the entire area.

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— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) August 18, 2019

The Indian Army rejected Rashid’s accusations, terming them “baseless” and “unverified”.

The statement issued by the Army read, “Allegations levelled by Shehla Rashid are baseless and rejected. Such unverified and fake news are spread by inimical elements and organisations to incite unsuspecting population,” ANI has reported.

Meanwhile, Rashid had told The Wire that she has had “detailed conversations with people about the situation there” and is willing to share “details” about the incidents she has mentioned with the Army if it were to “conduct an impartial investigation”.

“My thread is quite balanced. I’ve pointed out the positive work of the administration too. All the ten points are based on conversations with people,” Rashid added.

The former JNUSU vice-president’s allegations come amid a lockdown in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Even as the government had eased the curfew ahead of Eid, restrictions were reimposed in Srinagar after sporadic incidents of violence and stone-pelting were reported.

Mobile services were also reportedly snapped, in what is being termed as a ‘communication blackout’ by foreign media, in J&K so as to ‘check rumour-mongering’.

A local magistrate speaking to news agency AFP on condition of anonymity said at least 4,000 people were arrested and held under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

In her defence, Rashid tweeted:

Don't let the topic of my arrest divert your attention from the human rights abuse going on in #Kashmir right now. These abuses are not in the service of the nation, but in service of the ruling party's political agenda. If I do get arrested, share this thread with the world: https://t.co/TlxnvOn2ZM — Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) August 19, 2019