THE Jammu and Kashmir Police called The Indian Express Assistant Editor Bashaarat Masood to the Cyber Police Station in Srinagar on four days between January 15 and January 19 and asked him to sign a bond that he would not do anything that would disturb peace.
Masood, who has been reporting for The Indian Express from Srinagar for 20 years, did not sign the bond.
He received a call from the police first on January 14 evening, asking him to present himself at the Cyber Police Station the next day at 3.30 pm. He was called to the police station every day except Sunday. In all, he was in the police station for at least 15 hours over four days. He last went to the police station Monday morning.
On January 16, the police took him from the Cyber Police Station before a Magistrate and asked him to sign a bond.
An officer, who did not wish to be named, said the police had sought to take preventive action under Section 126 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, claiming it had information he would commit a “breach of peace” or disturb “public tranquility”.
This section states if the Magistrate is of the opinion there is sufficient ground for proceeding, he may, require such person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond or bail bond for keeping the peace.
Masood told the Magistrate he did not know the reason for which he was being asked to sign the bond, following which the police took Masood back to the station.
All along, the police made him wait and did not specify to Masood the reason for calling him to the station and making him sit there for hours.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
