Srinagar: Srinagar Police on Tuesday registered cases against National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu for allegedly circulating “false, fabricated and misleading content” on digital and social media platforms.
In a handout, police said that acting on credible inputs regarding the circulation of content aimed at creating fear, disturbing public order and inciting unlawful activities, cases were registered against the two leaders.
The content in question, police said, prima facie reflected the dissemination of distorted narratives and unverified information capable of causing public unrest and societal disharmony. “Such deliberate attempts to spread misinformation pose a serious threat to peace, security, and overall stability,” the statement said.
Accordingly, FIR No. 02/2026 and FIR No. 03/2026 were registered under Sections 197(1)(d) and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Cyber Police Station, Srinagar. Investigation into both cases has been initiated and is underway.
Srinagar Police reiterated its commitment to maintaining public peace and law and order, advising citizens to verify information through official and credible sources before sharing content online and to refrain from circulating unverified material that may disturb communal harmony or public order. Further legal action shall follow as warranted under law, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday strongly condemned the registration of criminal cases against the two leaders, terming the action “egregiously unwarranted.”
“The FIR against Aga Ruhullah and Junaid Azim Matoo is egregiously unwarranted and unjust. It must be withdrawn immediately,” the former chief minister said in a post on X.
“Just because GOI & NC government in Jammu & Kashmir have chosen to remain silent on the blatant aggression by US and Israel against Iran and the martyrdom of its Supreme Leader doesn’t mean that those who speak out are offenders to be booked under the law,” she said, in an apparent reference to recent geopolitical developments.
