Poonch, Jun 28: In a major development, the Sub-Judge/Special Mobile Magistrate, Poonch, Shafeeq Ahmed has directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Poonch to register an FIR against prominent national news channels—Zee News and News18 India—for allegedly airing defamatory and false content during the cross-border shelling incident on May 7, 2025, dubbed as ‘Operation Sindoor’.
The directive was issued following an application filed by prominent local advocate Sheikh Mohd Saleem, who alleged that the news channels falsely portrayed Qari Mohd Iqbal, a religious teacher at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom Poonch and a resident of Qazi Mohra, as a “Pakistani terrorist” affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba. The teacher was among the civilians martyred in the shelling by Pakistani forces that day.
Advocate Saleem contended that the false and sensationalized coverage deeply hurt the sentiments of the community, defamed the deceased and misled the public at large. He further argued that the channels even linked the deceased to the 2019 Pulwama attack, displaying his name and photograph without any verification.
Also Read: Amarnath Yatra: Traffic Police Issues Advisory
The court, after examining the report filed by SHO Poonch, noted that while the news channels had aired such defamatory content, they later withdrew the claims and issued an apology after receiving clarificatory inputs. The SHO stated that since no complaint was filed by the deceased’s family, no specific FIR had been registered—though a general FIR regarding the shelling incident (FIR No. 75/2025) was already lodged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act.
During the proceedings, the SHO argued that the court lacked jurisdiction since the broadcasts originated from Delhi. However, the court rejected this objection, citing Section 199 of the BNSS, 2023 (equivalent to Section 179 CrPC), which states that jurisdiction exists in both the place where the act occurred and where its consequences were felt.
The court emphasized that the defamatory broadcasts had a direct impact in Poonch—where the deceased lived and served—thus establishing local jurisdiction. Magistrate Shafeeq Ahmed further underscored 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), including defamation and public order.
“Branding a deceased civilian and religious teacher as a terrorist without verification, especially during an Indo-Pak war scenario, goes beyond journalistic error and amounts to public mischief and defamation,” the court observed.
Also Read: Cable Operator Electrocuted to Death in Srinagar
Accordingly, the court directed the SHO Poonch to register an FIR under Sections 353(2), 356, and 196(1) of the BNS, 2023, read with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It also instructed the police to conduct a fair, impartial and time-bound investigation and file a compliance report within seven days. A copy of the order was also sent to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Poonch for supervisory oversight.
This order is being seen as a landmark move in holding national media accountable for unverified and potentially harmful reporting, especially during sensitive conflict situations.
