J&K police file FIR against social media users in Valley

Miscreants propagating secessionist ideology through VPNs, say officials

The J&K police on Monday lodged an FIR against locals for using the social media platforms on virtual private networks (VPNs).

“Taking a serious note of misuse of social media, the Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone Srinagar has registered an FIR against against various social media users, who defied the government orders and misused the social media platforms,” a Srinagar-based police spokesman said on Monday evening.

The FIR has been registered while taking cognizance of the posts by the miscreants through VPNs propagating rumours regarding the security scenario if the Valley, propagating secessionist ideology and glorifying terrorists, the police said.

“A lot of incriminating material has also been seized,” the spokesman said.

The case is registered under FIR No. 01 of 2020 U/S 13 U A (P) Act, 188, 505 of IPC and 66-A(b) of the IT Act.

“I appeal to the general public not to use the social media via VPNs,” IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said.

The J&K government on January 14 banned all the social media sites. The ban, the government said, was to curb the misuse of the sites by miscreants for propagating false information “having the effect of causing social instability”.