Poonch – In a significant development, the District Court in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, has directed the police to register an FIR against national news channels Zee News and News18 India for broadcasting false and defamatory content during their coverage of Operation Sindoor, reported the Bar and Bench.
The case pertains to a complaint filed by advocate Sheikh Mohammad Saleem, who alleged that both channels had falsely portrayed Qari Mohammad Iqbal — a local religious teacher killed in Pakistani shelling on May 7 — as a “Pakistani terrorist” affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba and involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Sheikh informed the Court that the deceased was a civilian and a teacher at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom, and had no connection to any terror outfit. He accused the media houses of spreading misinformation by airing his photograph and full name and misidentifying him as a terrorist without verifying facts from official sources.
Although the defamatory coverage was later withdrawn following clarifications, the complainant argued that the reputational damage to the deceased and his family was irreversible.
During the hearing, police raised objections regarding jurisdiction, arguing that the telecast originated from Delhi. However, Sub-Judge and Special Mobile Magistrate Shafeeq Ahmed dismissed this, noting that under Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), jurisdiction applies wherever the consequences of such an act are felt — in this case, Poonch, where the deceased lived and worked.
The Court emphasized that while freedom of the press is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, it is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), especially in cases involving defamation, public order, and morality.
The judge strongly condemned the channels’ conduct, terming it “serious journalistic misconduct” that could incite public unrest and threaten social harmony. He stated that even though the channels later issued apologies, the initial broadcast linking Qari Iqbal to terrorism without factual verification constituted defamation, public mischief, and outraging of religious sentiments — offenses punishable under Sections 353(2), 356, and 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66 of the IT Act, 2000.
The Court directed the Station House Officer to register an FIR within seven days and conduct a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation. A compliance report has also been ordered, and a copy of the judgment has been sent to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Poonch for supervisory action.
