A Delhi court on Friday directed the Delhi Police to issue a10-day pre-arrest notice to Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement leader andactivist Shehla Rashid if the need arises to arrest her in the sedition case.The Delhi Police Special Cell had on September 10, 2019, filed an FIR against Rashid for levelling false allegations against the Indian Army on themicro-blogging platform, Twitter. On Friday, the Patiala House Court disposedoff Rashid's anticipatory bail application with this direction after it wastold that the investigation is at the preliminary stage.

Earlier in September 2019, Rashid was booked for sedition ona criminal complaint by Supreme Court lawyer Alok Srivastav who had sought thearrest of Rashid. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police lodged the FIR undersections 124-A, 153A,153, 504, 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The activist had levelled a series on baseless and fakeallegations on the situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir afterthe abrogation of Article 370. The Army has rubbished allegations of torturelevelled by Rashid and in a statement had referred to her charges as"baseless".

She had claimed that Armed forces were “ransacking” housesof common people in Jammu and Kashmir, entering their houses at night, spillingration on the floor, mixing oil with rice and “picking up boys” for illegaldetention. She had alleged that four persons were detained by Army personneland tortured in Shopian.

In a series of tweets, Shehla attributed to “people” assaying the Jammu and Kashmir Police department has no law and order situation.“They’ve been rendered powerless. Everything is in the hands of paramilitaryforces,” read a tweet by her. According to Shehla, while petrol and diesel areavailable in the region, “people have started running out of medicines now”.

She had also falsely alleged that in Sophian, four Kashmiriswere called at an Army camp and tortured, adding that a mike was kept close tothe table so that entire area could hear their screams.Rashid had tweeted allthese on August 17.