Inquiry demanded into 'campaign' against Bukhari

The Editors' Guild of India and other journalists' bodies on Monday demanded the government for setting up “a separate inquiry” into those who had launched “a malicious campaign” against Shujaat Bukhaari who was shot dead by two assailants in Jammu and Kashmir recently.

They also demanded that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir must bring the perpetrators of the crime to book “at the earliest.”

Hours before Bukhari fell to the bullets of the assailants on June 14, he had vigorously defended his work on Twitter when some on the microblogging site accused him of doing "biased" reportage on Kashmir.

Bukhari, a senior journalist and editor of the 'Rising Kashmir' newspaper, had posted on Twitter a UN report on the alleged human rights violations in the Valley.

The media persons held a remembrance-cum-solidarity meeting here under the aegis of various journalists bodies and condemned killing of Bukhari and his two PSOs (personal security officers).

“We demand that the government institute a separate inquiry into those who had launched a malicious campaign against Shujaat,” the Editors Guild of India and other journalists' bodies said in a joint statement later.

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, they also demanded.

“We feel that such killings are often preceded by hate messages and malicious campaigns on the 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 added.