Police questions Kashmiri scribe Masrat Zahra

SRINAGAR — Journalist Masrat Zahra, who was booked for uploading anti-national posts, was questioned by police on Tuesday in connection with the case filed against her under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, officials said.

Zahra was questioned for more than an hour at the Kashmir’s Cyber Police Station in Shergarhi area of the city, they said.

After the questioning, the freelance journalist said she has answered the investigators’ questions. “I met the concerned police officials of the case and answered their questions regarding the investigation. I have not been arrested and the investigation is going on. Thanks all for the support,” she tweeted.

Ahead of her appearing before the police, Zahra said she was going to defend her rights as a journalist. “So wish me good luck because it’s time to defend my rights as a journalist, Going inside cyber police station,” she tweeted.

Zahra is one of the two journalists in Kashmir who were booked on Monday for reportedly posting “anti-national” content on social media and publishing a “fake” news story, police said.

While she was booked for a Facebook post about slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Srinagar correspondent of The Hindu, Peerzada Ashiq was booked for a story about recent Shopian encounter in which two militants were killed.

“A case has been registered against Zahra for uploading anti-national posts with a criminal intention to induce the youth and promote offences against tranquillity,” a police official had said.