Journalist booked

Police have registered a case of criminal trespass against a video journalist on a complaint filed by another journalist, who is also father of Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister's public relations officer Junaid Rashid.
Junaid was in the midst of a controversy last week for allegedly slapping an official while on duty. He has, however, denied the allegations.
A case under sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) has been registered against Shiekh Umar Altaf, a stringer with a private national TV channel, at Sadder police station yesterday, a police official said.
He said the FIR was registered after Rashid Ahmad, a journalist and father of Junaid, filed a complaint.

Junaid, who is working as PRO with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was accused by a forest department official of slapping and kicking him in Pulwama district of south Kashmir last week.
"The video journalist entered my father's house and also started recording without permission. Since my brother is a police officer, the recording of the house and surroundings can compromise his security," Junaid told PTI.

Meanwhile, Kashmir Video Journalists Association has condemned the filing of an FIR against against Altaf.
In a statement, the association termed the act as an attempt to "browbeat the media into silence for reporting the story of the PRO of Finance Minister who beat up a Forest Department official for doing his job".

The association, which met here under the chairmanship of its president Shiek Tariq, called upon the police to immediately withdraw the FIR and "stop harassment of media fraternity".