It is for the safety of journalists not to report live encounters says IGP
By: Shayib Bhat VOV
Srinagar
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Vijay Kumar on Friday repeated his earlier caution to the Kashmir based journalists not to report live encounters and other law and order situations that endangers their lives. He while talking to media said that district SSPs have been directed to brief media men about encounter updates and that the media persons are once again advised not to inch closer to gunfight sites as that poses threat to their lives.
He said that the government does not want to put anyone to harm and if the media persons go close to the gunfight sites it poses a direct threat to their lives. Similarly other law and order situations warrant the same threat for them.
According to KNO IGP said that if media persons go closer to the operation sites, the same may disturb the men involved in anti-militancy operations and the live coverage of encounters may trigger law and order situation in other areas. Replying to a query at PCR Srinagar whether injury to the three civilians can be reported by the media, the IGP said: “I reiterate that no live coverage of encounters will be allowed. A stray bullet can hit any media men if you go closer to the operation site. Covering live encounters can pose threat to the journalists.”
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the IGP said that live coverage of encounters can instigate people in other adjoining areas of the operational site and lead to law and order situation. “I have directed district SSPs to brief media men about encounter updates in their respective areas, whenever there is any encounter,” he said. Pertinently, KNO was the first to report the police advisory that barred media men from covering live encounters in Kashmir.
With inputs from KNO