Srinagar, Feb 11: High Court of J&K and Ladakh has sought an affidavit from District Magistrate Srinagar indicating the steps he has taken in response to a communication of SSP Srinagar with regard to alleged seditious remarks by former Chief Minister and NC president Farooq Abdullah.
A complaint was filed by “activist” Sukesh C Khajuria to District Magistrate, Jammu seeking action against Abdullah for his alleged seditious speeches on December 5, 2016 on the occasion of 111th birth anniversary of late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah at Naseem Bagh Hazratbal here and on February 24, 2017 at Nawa-e-Subh Headquarters of National Conference during the second death anniversary of former general secretary of National Conference Sheikh Nazir Ahmed.
District Magistrate, Jammu sent the complaint to the District Magistrate Srinagar for necessary action as per provisions of law.
In his plea before the court, Khajuria sought to know as to what action had been taken vis-a-vis his complaint against Abdullah.
Advocate SS Ahmed on behalf of Khajuria invited the attention of the court towards the status report filed by the SSP Srinagar and SHO Police Station Nageen and said it was necessary to seek the response of the District Magistrate, Srinagar as to what steps he had taken to ensure that the matter was taken to its logical conclusion.
After hearing advocate Ahmed and the government through AAG Amit Gupta, Justice Sanjeev Kumar observed, “The status report dated December 10, 2021 filed by the SSP Srinagar reveals that the SHO concerned has taken up the matter with the District Magistrate, Srinagar and has submitted a detailed report in this regard to him.”
Underscoring that the status report indicated that the appropriate response from the District Magistrate, Srinagar was awaited, the court said, “In the face of compliance report filed by the SSP Srinagar, it becomes necessary to have the reply affidavit of the District Magistrate, Srinagar.”
After AAG Gupta, appearing for the respondents (government) sought time, the Court granted him four weeks to file an affidavit in response to the status report filed by the SSP Srinagar explaining the steps the District Magistrate Srinagar has taken on the communication of SSP Srinagar, indicated in the compliance report.