The Jammu and Kashmir Cyber Police Tuesday night said it filed a case against a Kashmiri author-journalist Gowhar  for“glorifying terrorism in Kashmir Valley” through social media posts, the second such FIR to be filed against a journalist in four days.

Geelani is an independent reporter who has been published by BBC, DailyO, and Scroll.in, among others. He also worked with Deutsche Welle for several years in Germany.

A senior police officer told ThePrint that authorities had been “compiling information” about Geelani’s social media activity for some time now.

In a press release, the police said: “Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar, has received information through reliable sources that an individual namely ‘Gowher Geelani’ is indulging in unlawful activities through his posts and writings on Social Media platform (sic) which are prejudicial to the national integrity, sovereignty and security of India.

“The unlawful activities include glorifying terrorism in Kashmir Valley, causing disaffection against the country and causing fear or alarm in the minds of public that may lead to commission of offences against public tranquility and the security of State.”

The statement further said that several complaints have also been received against Geelani for “threatening and intimidation.

A Case FIR No. 11/2020 under the relevant sections of law has been registered at Cyber Police Station Kashmir and investigation initiated,” it said

The official statement issued by the police did not cite the sections under which Geelani was booked, but sources said these were similar to those connected with Masrat Zahra, a photojournalist who was charged under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for her social media posts.