The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Police for summoning journalists over the past week, stating that such actions amounted to coercion and intimidation of the media.
In a statement, the guild said the police had not clearly explained the reasons for issuing the summons and asserted that there was no place for such arbitrary measures in a democratic system, where the media plays a fundamental role.
According to reports, at least four journalists working with leading national media organisations were summoned by the police in the Union Territory. Among them was Bashaarat Masood, a senior journalist with The Indian Express, sources familiar with the matter said. Masood had recently published reports on a controversial police exercise seeking information about mosques and mosque officials in Kashmir, the Scroll.in reported.
Sources said Masood was asked to sign a bond stating that he would refrain from any activity that could disturb peace in the Union Territory. However, he declined to sign the document, a spokesperson for The Indian Expressblater confirmed.
The police action was reportedly not linked to any registered first information report but was carried out under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The provision allows an executive magistrate to seek preventive bonds from individuals considered likely to cause a breach of peace, based solely on information available to authorities.
In its statement, the Editors Guild expressed serious concern over what it described as the continued suppression of legitimate journalistic work in Jammu and Kashmir. It said that arbitrary police summons, questioning of reporters, and attempts to secure affidavits under pressure undermined press freedom and interfered with journalists’ professional responsibilities.
The guild described the recent summons as the latest example of what it said were increasingly threatening and coercive actions against working journalists in the region. It added that numerous similar instances of journalists being questioned by the police had been reported in the past.
Calling on the police and other authorities to refrain from such practices, the guild said these actions curtailed free expression and hindered the media’s ability to perform its essential role. It also urged authorities to ensure transparency and adhere strictly to legal due process when engaging with journalists.
Besides Masood, three other reporters reportedly received similar summons. One of them was outside Srinagar when a police officer contacted him and asked him to appear. As of Tuesday, none of the other journalists had presented themselves at the police station, according to reports.
The journalists who were summoned had covered political reactions to the police’s recent drive to gather information from mosques, which sparked widespread controversy in the Union Territory. As part of the exercise, police personnel were reportedly distributing a four-page questionnaire to mosques, seeking detailed information about the family backgrounds and financial affairs of individuals managing the places of worship.
The move drew criticism from political leaders across party lines in Kashmir as well as from prominent religious organisations, who argued that the exercise went far beyond verifying the legal status of mosques.
Media outlets had sought clarification from the senior superintendent of Srinagar Police regarding the summons and the demand for bonds, but the official did not respond to calls or messages.