The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) expresses its deep anguish and strong objection to the manner in which the arrest of Manoj Kumar Bhat alias Pintu by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), in connection with FIR No. 13/2022, is being reported by certain sections of the media.
AIKS has complete faith in the law and the ongoing investigation. If the allegations against the accused are established, he must face exemplary and stringent punishment in accordance with the law, irrespective of his identity, background or community.
At the same time, AIKS strongly condemns any attempt to communalise an individual’s alleged criminal conduct or portray it as representative of an entire community.
Crime Has No Religion
The Kashmiri Pandit community has been one of the worst victims of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The community was subjected to targeted violence, intimidation and displacement, resulting in the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990.
Against this painful historical backdrop, any attempt to associate the entire Kashmiri Pandit community with narco-terrorism or terrorism on the basis of the alleged actions of an individual is not only unjust but deeply hurtful.
An individual is responsible for his or her own actions. Crime cannot be attributed to an entire community of nearly seven lakh people.
Selective Reporting Raises Serious Questions
AIKS is particularly concerned about the selective manner in which the identity and community background of one accused have been highlighted.
As per the SIA’s reported statement, the case relates to a wider narco-terror conspiracy involving Pakistan/PoK-based handlers, including Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo and Manzoor Ahmad Khan, besides other accused persons.
AIKS therefore asks: Why should the community identity of only one accused be highlighted when it has no bearing on the substance of the investigation?
When did reporting of criminal cases begin to require the religion or community identity of an accused as a headline-worthy fact?
Such selective emphasis can create a misleading narrative, fuel prejudice and unfairly malign an entire community that has itself suffered immensely from terrorism.
Journalistic Responsibility and Ethics
AIKS urges media organisations to uphold the highest standards of responsible journalism. The identity, religion, caste or community of an accused should not be unnecessarily highlighted where it has no substantive relevance to understanding the crime or the investigation.
The media has a crucial responsibility to inform the public accurately without creating communal narratives around individual criminal cases.
AIKS Demands Responsible Reporting
AIKS calls upon all media houses and journalists to:
Report the case strictly on the basis of facts, evidence and the findings of the investigation.
Refrain from unnecessary communal or religious profiling of accused persons.
Avoid portraying the alleged actions of an individual as representative of an entire community.
Give equal prominence to all relevant facts of the investigation rather than selectively highlighting community identity.
The Kashmiri Pandit community has endured 35 years of displacement and the consequences of terrorism. It is deeply distressing and unacceptable that the name of a community that has suffered from terrorism should now be casually linked with the very phenomenon that uprooted it.
AIKS reiterates its full faith in the SIA and J&K Police investigation and firmly believes that anyone found guilty of involvement in narco-terror financing or any other criminal activity must face the strictest punishment under law.
Justice must be based on facts and evidence—not on religion, community or identity.
