Journalist Sheikh Junaid Sagar Qureshi was arrested on April 12 by District Central Police for allegedly spreading false and provocative content online. The arrest followed the registration of a case against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
The First Information Report (FIR) No. 170/25 was registered at Khawaja Ajmair Nagri Police Station on the complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tariq Mumtaz.
The complainant stated in the FIR that, while browsing WhatsApp, he came across a video in which Qureshi had discussed an incident at a fast food outlet, alleging that a mob had attacked police and pelted stones at them. As per the journalist, a Station House Officer and two officers were injured. Additionally, he claimed that a dumper truck had run over a woman in the jurisdiction of the Sir Syed Police Station.
According to The News, police said that upon investigation, it was found that no such incident had occurred and no woman had been run over. Additionally, no incident involving the police had been reported.
Authorities said that Qureshi was “actively spreading false and inflammatory news” on social media, which was creating “unnecessary panic and unrest among the public.” The FIR stated that his actions violated Section 21 of PECA. Further inquiries were underway.
