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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Iftikar Geelani, Delhi correspondent of Kashmir Times, booked under Officials Secrets Act on Sunday for possessing information regarding movement of Indian troops on the border would be produced before chief metropolitan magistrate Sangita Sehgal Dhingra in New Delhi.
Deputy Commissioner (special branch) Ujwal Misra confirmed this to rediff.com on Monday.
Joint teams of income tax, Jammu and Kashmir police and the special cell had raided the Malviya Nagar house of Geelani on Sunday and had seized his laptop computer in which the information regarding troop movement was stored.
Jammu and Kashmir police would seek transit remand of the journalist and take him to Srinagar for further investigations.
Ved Bhasin, editor-in-chief of Kashmir Times expressed shock at the arrest of his Delhi correspondent.
Talking to rediff.com from his residence in Jammu over phone Bhasin said that Iftikar was a 'good journalist' and who worked 'hard to get his stories'.
"What can I say. Why they have involved him? His only fault is that he is the son-in-law of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader. As far as Iftikar is concerned he has been writing his stories impartially. He has on occasions written stories that were not liked by the APHC top brass, including his father-in-law. He is a pro-Indian journalist," Bhasin added.
Asked if he is planning to take up the matter with Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Bhasin said, "Today (Monday) I am going to find out more about his arrest and what the police has against him. Then I would decide what to do. Of course I am going to take up his arrest."
Since Iftikar Geelani has been booked under the Officials Secrets Act, the proceedings would be held in the camera.
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