Media bodies urge JK govt to bring Bukhari's killers to book

Eleven media organisations today urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring the killers of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari to book at the earliest, and institute an inquiry into the malicious campaign launched against the scribe before his murder.

In a joint statement-cum-resolution, Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Association, Editors' Guild, South Asian Free Media Association, South Asian Women in Media, Indian Journalists' Union, National Union of Journalists, Foreign Correspondents' Club , Working News Camerapersons Association and All India Urdu Editors Conference said the senseless murder of Bukhari demanded accountability at various levels.

They said everyone in the country has sovereign right to freedom of speech and expression and increasing intolerance to such freedoms has the potential of "undermining the character and nature of democracy".

We demand that the government of Jammu and Kashmir bring the perpetrators of this dastardly crime to book at the earliest. We demand that the government institute a separate inquiry into those who had launched a malicious campaign against Shujaat, they said.

The cyber cell of the Union Home Ministry should look into all those IP addresses and their sources from where the malicious campaigns were conducted, the statement said.

The organisations said such killings were often preceded by hate messages and malicious campaigns on social media.

Various journalists and other civilians have been viciously trolled and targeted. All such instances ought to be monitored by a vigilant government if civilian safety and security is a priority in governance, they said.

Several journalists, at a remembrance-cum-solidarity meeting held under the aegis of the journalist organisations, condemned the killing of Bukhari, who was the editor-in-chief of Rising Kashmir.

Bukhari (50) along with his two security guards was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants outside his office at Srinagar on June 14.

The police have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), central Kashmir, to probe the killing.