Calling Kashmir "occupied" not free speech: J&K High Court

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir High Court ruled that referring to Kashmir as "occupied" and the region's people slaves are not protected by Article 19 (A) of the Indian Constitution which ensures freedom of speech and expression, IANS reported.

The HC bench of Sanjay Dhar observed, "It is one thing to criticise the government for its negligence and express outrage on the violation of human rights of the people, but it is quite another to advocate that the people of a particular part of the country are slaves of the government of India or that they are under the occupation of armed forces of the country." "By making these comments, Butt was supporting the claim that Jammu and Kashmir is not a part of India," the court added. It was hearing a petition by advocate Muzamil Butt who sought quashing of the FIR registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

Police had booked Butt in 2018 for his post on Facebook, which criticized the killing of seven civilians in an explosion at the encounter site in Larnoo village of Jammu and Kashmir.

Butt had expressed his outrage on many incidents on social media and he argued that it was his right to free speech.