IFJ on case against Reporter K.K. Shahina

IFJ Deeply Concerned over Criminal Charges against Indian Investigative Reporter
Media Release: India                                                                     January 15, 2013                 
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is extremely concerned to learn of the criminal charges filed against investigative reporter K.K. Shahina by police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Shahina, who currently works with the weekly magazine Open,  faces charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy and intimidation of witnesses with intent to commit a crime. The chargesheet filed in the sessions court in the district of Kodagu in Karnataka state, also indicts her under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which is most commonly invoked to deal with terrorist offences.
These charges stem from a story  published under Shahina’s byline in the weekly magazine Tehelka in December 2010, which appeared to cast doubt on the prosecution of a prominent Islamic cleric and political figure on terrorism charges.
Shahina who then worked as correspondent for Tehelka in the state of Kerala, based her story on interviews with key witnesses in the case against Abdul Nasar Mahdani, an Islamic cleric who heads the Peoples’ Democratic Party, active mainly in the state of Kerala. Mahdani has since been arrested and charged by Karnataka police for conspiracy to detonate a series of low-intensity bomb blasts in the state capital city of Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in July 2008.
Shahina’s story cited several of the witnesses named by the Karnataka police as saying that their testimony has been misinterpreted or distorted in making out the charges against Mahdani.
In March 2011, Shahina was honoured with the Chameli Devi Jain award for outstanding woman media person. The awards citation mentioned her investigative work in defence of civil liberties, among other contributions.
Facing the possibility of arrest since January 2011, Shahina approached the district court in Kodagu for anticipatory bail, but was turned down. It was only in July 2011 that the Karnataka High Court granted her provisional immunity from arrest. With charges now formally registered in the sessions court, she will be required to appeal for renewal of her bail and also travel from her base of Kochi city in Kerala, to Madikeri in Kodagu district for every hearing.
The IFJ calls on the authorities in Karnataka state to reconsider their intent to prosecute Shahina, whose work has been an example of investigative journalism in the cause of civil liberties.
“We see this prosecution as an instance of seeking to silence fair and independent reporting through legal injunction. We fear that the process of the law, with the demands it makes on the time and energy of the defendant, is often punishment in itself and will severely impair this journalist’s professional effectiveness.”
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0950
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

IFJ on case against Reporter K.K. Shahina

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Indian Investigative Reporter K.K. Shahina

CPI strongly crticised the move to withdraw vehicles

Shashi Kant is fighting the drug mafia

The Communist Party of India Distt. Ludhiana unit strongly crticised the move to withdraw vehicles from Mr.Shashi Kant–DGP (Prisons). Mr.Shashi Kant who is fighting the drug mafia with all firmness had recently said that he has been receiving threats as he had exposed nexus between the drug mafia and some higher ups. The drug menace is ruining the youth of our state. Any one fighting against them from any quarter needs to be supported fully in all manner by the government. It is unfortunate that Mr.Kant has been asked to surrender his vehicles.  This appears to be a clear signal to warn not only him but to all those speaking  against drug menace to give up their fight.
Com Kartar Singh Bowani – Secretary CPI Distt. Ludhiana, Com Ramesh Rattan – City Secretary, Dr.Arun Mitra – Asstt. Secretary and Com Dharam Pal Maur – CPI Contestant from Ludhiana West Assembly Constituency have appealed to the Chief Minister of Punjab to intervene immediately and restore confidence of Mr.Shashi Kant DGP (Prisons) in his pursuit against the drug menace who needs to be encouraged at this moment.

4 SSPs 13 SPs and 16 DSPs transferred in Punjab

Chandigarh, July 28:  The Punjab government has today issued the transfer orders of 4 SSPs and 13 SPs and 16 DSPs  with immediate effect. 

According to a spokesman of Punjab government Mr. Balkar Singh Sidhu, PPS and Mr. Rajinder Kumar Shardha, PPS have been posted as SSPs of newly created districts Pathankot and Fazilka respectively. Mr. Manminder Singh, PPS has been posted as SSP Tarntaran and Mr. Surinder Kumar Kalia as SSP Gurdaspur.

          Besides this Mr.Gurmit Singh, PPS has been posted as SP (H) Ferozepur, Mr. Gurpreet Singh, PPS  as SP(D) Fatehgarh Sahib, Mr. Gagan Ajit Singh , PPS as additional DCP-II Jalandhar, Mr. Manmohan Singh PPS as SP (H), Tarntaran, Mr. Ranbir Singh, PPS as SP (Traffic) Tarntaran, Mr. Naresh Kumar, PPS as additional DCP-II Amritsar, Mr. Gursharan Singh Bedi, PPS as Zonal SP /Crime Bathinda, Mr. Jai Pal Singh, PPS as Zonal SP/Crime, Patiala, Mr. Harmohan Singh PPS as SP(H)/SBS Nagar , Mr. Satinder Singh, PPS as SP/Intelligence, Mr. Manjit Singh, PPS as additional DCP-I, Ludhiana, Mr. Ravinder Kumar Bakshi as Assistant Commandant, 2^nd IRB /Ladda Kothi, Sangrur and Mr. Bhupinderjit Singh, PPS as  Assistant Commandant Ist/IRB Patiala.

The spokesman further said that Mrs. Gurmeet Kaur, PPS has been posted as  DSP/Jaito, Mr. Bikramjit Singh PPS as DSP/City Bathinda, Mr. Kesar Singh PPS as  DSP/City-I, Patiala, Mr. Surinderpal Singh, PPS as DSP/SD/Sardulgarh with additional charge of DSP/SD/Budhlada, Mr. Harjit Singh, PPS as DSP/SD/Fatehgarh Churian, Mr. Balwinder Singh PPS as DSP/Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, Mr. Narinder Singh, PPS  as ACP/Hqrs. Amritsar, Mr. Ranjit Singh, PPS as DSP/D, Batala, Mr. Kehar Singh, PPS as ACP/Focal Point, Ludhiana, Mr. Jaswant Singh, PPS as ACP/Traffic, Amritsar, Mr. Cheta Singh, PPS as DSP/Hqrs. Patiala and Mr. Gurpreet Singh, PPS as DSP/D, Tarntaran. Besides this, five DSPs namely Mr. Paramjit Singh, PPS, Mr. Tilak Raj, PPS, Mr. Nahar Singh, PPS, Mr. Ranjit Singh, PPS, Mr. Mohinder Singh, PPS and  Mr. Gurdarshan Singh, PPS have been posted  as DSPs in Chief Minister Security, Pb., Chandigarh.