J&K – The distinguished Police State!
NL Correspondent
Social media has become the new hub of vile and vitriol. It's where reputations are torn to shreds, salacious information shared without verification and rebuttals are never ever short of spite, malice and menace. In short, slander now has a new name. It's called trolling and is defined as the art of deliberately, cleverly and secretly hitting people, usually via the internet.
A disturbing report appeared in a leading daily ‘Early Times' about a smear campaign by a Police SHO on social-network media ‘WhatsApp' against the publication posed a serious challenge to existence of a section of vocal print media in Jammu Kashmir. The shameless contents flowing through the ‘WhatsApp' handler are stinking of filth and rage against the publisher by identifiable phone numbers. More shocking is the inaction of the top brass of state police against the violators of the law particularly when it comes from their clan.
The publication had reported the allegations of a minor girl of rape in a media address by the alleged victim. A video clip of minor girl categorically accusing a police officer of raping her had gone viral on the same social media network. Publication cannot go scot-free if the report is found to be false as publisher cannot escape his responsibility in such reporting. The police official had ample remedies available to him to take legal course against the girl and the publication but his taking law into his hand cannot be justified especially when he is supposed to be a protector of law.
What one could gather from the reports as published in the publication that the police hierarchy has been protecting the SHO whom a minor girl pointedly marked as her alleged ‘rapist' before media. Instead of probing such serious allegations, the inaction on the part of higher officials is more shocking in disbelief.
If some serious steps like an honest probe in the entire gamut of affairs and action against the erring police officer are not taken immediately, it will strengthen the belief of a commoner – Is J&K a Police State?
