J&K police FIR against social media users

On Monday, 17 February, the Jammu and Kashmir Police registered a case against people who have tried to access social media in the Union Territory, in defiance of the telecom restrictions orders passed by the government.

“There have been continuous reports of misuse of social media sites by miscreants to propagate secessionist ideology and to promote unlawful activities,” a police spokesperson told news agency PTI, adding that the FIR has been registered after taking cognisance of social media posts by these ‘miscreants’ using virtual private networks (VPNs).

While social media usage has been restricted in the region, the legality of the J&K Police’s actions is being questioned, as they are booking people under Section 13 of the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as Section 66A of the Information Technology Act (which was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015).