A court in Srinagar has granted Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan bail two months after he was detained in a five year old case. Sultan has been behind bars since 2018 on various charges, including allegedly harbouring terrorists in the valley.
The 36-year-old journalist was initially arrested under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which makes it difficult to get bail. Then another case was filed against him under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
The bail was granted after more than six years of imprisonment on allegations of providing “logistical support” to a militant group in Kashmir. However, the court set strict bail conditions, prohibiting him from using any kind of encrypted messaging apps or proxy networks, and buying a new mobile phone or a SIM card only after permission from the court.
Sultan was working an assistant editor of a local publication when he was arrested by the police in September 2018 under UAPA following the death of militant commander Burhan Wani. Police accused him of helping and sheltering anti-India militants.
However, on the other hand, Sultan’s colleagues alleged that he was targeted for writing an article about the death of a young Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, which was published in the magazine.
Pertinently, Burhan Wani (21) was killed in a gun battle with government forces in South Kashmir on 8 July 2016, which triggered mass agitation, curfews and deadly violence for a year across Kashmir.
Sultan was detained “without any reason or rhyme,” according to special judge Mohammad Syed Shah’s May 10, 2023, order, which also declared Sultan innocent and pointed out that he had committed no crimes. Sultan had been imprisoned for years “without any reasonable justification,” the judge pointed out questioning how he could commit a crime while already in detention and being a peaceful citizen.
In December 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) High Court quashed Sultan’s detention under PSA, calling it “illegal and unsustainable”.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
