Chief editor of the Kashmir Valley’s vernacular daily Al-Saffa News, Ashraf Shaban, has been arrested and detained at Police Station Kulgam in a case of brazen impersonation on the orders of Sub Judge Kulgam late on Thursday evening.
Informed sources told the Excelsior that on the orders of Sub Judge Kulgam, Mr Jawwad Ahmed, Police Station Kulgam on Thursday evening registered case FIR No: 38 of 2002 Dated 17-03-2005 under sections 468, 471, 205, 193, 419 and 109 against the printer, publisher and chief editor of daily Al-Saffa News, Mohammad Ashraf Shaban.
The editor, as also another Al-Saffa staffer, Irshad Ahmed Lone S/o Abdul Majeed Lone R/o Seelu, Sopore, were immediately arrested and put in Police custody. Two more Al-Saffa staffers, namely Mohammad Yusuf Matt and Shaukat Ahmed Dar, have also been booked as co-accused in the FIR.
According to the details available, one Ayisha Begum of Kulgam had filed a defamation suit against the Al-Saffa editor before Sub Judge Kulgam over a slanderous news item carried by the Urdu daily some time back. During the proceedings of the hearing, Ashraf Shaban had reportedly pleaded that the particular news item had been provided by a local news agency. He had assured the complainant through court that he would prominently refute the news item in the columns of his newspaper.
The complainant woman approached the court with a fresh complaint that the editor had neither published the refutation nor granted an interview to her messengers. Taking cognizance of the fresh development, Sub Judge Kulgam issued non-bailable warrants against Ashraf Shaban and ordered his personal appearance in the court on March 22.
On Wednesday, a young man approached the court with an affidavit that he was the Chief Editor of Al-Saffa Ashraf Shaban. He pleaded that the non-bailable warrant against him be cancelled. He also produced an Identity Card which described him as Mohammad Ashraf Shaban, editor Al-Saffa News. However, the complainant woman and her pleader alleged that he was not the editor. His I-Card was seized and Police was asked to verify whether he was Ashraf Shaban or an imposter. After some time, it became clear that he was not Ashraf Shaban but one Irshad Ahmed Lone, who was reportedly working at the newspaper office. The court ordered his arrest.
When the real editor, Ashraf Shaban, appeared before the Sub Judge Kulgam, the court directed Police that a criminal case be immediately registered against him, Irshad Ahmed Lone (who had impersonated as Ashraf Shaban) and Mohammad Yusuf Matt and Shaukat Ahmed Dar who had both verified the imposter as Ashraf Shaban. Police arrested Ashraf Shaban and Irshad Lone. Sources said that Matt and Dar would be arrested tomorrow.Excelsior got all the three telephones of Al-Saffa News "temporarily out of order" when repeated attempts were made to take the newspaper establishment’s comments.
