After 2 groups clash in Kishtwar, district bars unregistered portals from publishing news for 2 months; man held for ‘misleading video’

Following a clash between two groups of people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Sunday, the J&K Police on Monday detained a person who allegedly uploaded a “misleading video” on social media that sought to give a communal colour to the incident, police said.

Kishtwar District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma also issued an order on Monday directing strict regulation and compliance with the statutory framework governing digital news and current affairs content in the district. The order barred unregistered online news portals and social media platforms from publishing or circulating any news or current affairs content without complying with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Cyber cafe operators have been instructed to enforce identity verification norms and maintain proper user records.

Passed ex parte in view of the urgency of the situation, the order has come into force with immediate effect and will remain in force for two months, officials said.

To ensure enforcement, the Kishtwar District Information Officer has been directed to submit a verified list of all registered and unregistered online news portals, media organisations, and social media news handles operating in the district within seven days, while the Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police has been tasked with ensuring strict implementation of the order.

In an advisory, police asked the general public to exercise utmost caution and responsibility while using social media and other digital platforms. “Any person found involved in such acts shall be dealt with strictly as per law,” the advisory said.

Giving details of the clash, police said that some members of a community were bringing logs from the jungle when one log slipped and fell near a madrassa. This led to an altercation between two groups under the jurisdiction of Padyarna police post, which later escalated into stone pelting from both sides, during which some people sustained minor injuries, police said, adding that an FIR under sections 125, 125(a), 191(2) of the BNS was registered and an investigation was initiated.

However, one person from Kishtwar uploaded a video of the incident, claiming that it was an attack on a religious place, allegedly attempting to give it a communal angle, thereby disturbing public peace and order, police said.

Another FIR under section 353 BNS was registered at Kishtwar police station, and the person who allegedly uploaded the “misleading” video was detained, police said.