NEW DELHI: Press Council of India (PCI) Thursday issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Jammu and Kashmir police, and other state officials over the arrest of freelance Kashmiri photojournalist Kamran Yousuf. PCI has taken a suo-motu cognizance regarding the arrest of the photo journalist and has given two weeks time to the respondents to reply to the notice.
The letter addressed to the National Investigation Agency officials, officials of Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the matter is prima facie concerned with the freedom of press in the country. The Press Council of India has “viewed the incident with concern and taken the suo-motu cognizance of the matter under Regulation 13 of Press Council (procedure for inquiry) Regulation, 1979."
“It has been brought to the notice of the Council that Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Pulwama-based freelance photojournalist Shri Kamran Yousuf and handed over to the National Investigation Agency,” the letter said. "Now therefore, a reply statement to this notice may please be filed within two weeks from the date of receipt of this letter to enable the further processing of the matter," the letter added. Yousuf was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on September 4. He was handed over to the NIA the next day.