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J&K Court Orders FIR Against Zee News and News18 for Misreporting Poonch Teacher

The directive follows legal notices demanding ₹5 crore in damages from each channel over allegations that they falsely branded Qari Muhammad Iqbal a terrorist.

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The court also directed that a copy of this order be sent to the senior superintendent of police, Poonch for supervisory compliance. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a respected teacher at the Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom seminary and a resident of Qazi Mohra, was allegedly labelled terrorist by the news channels.

Overview

  • A Jammu and Kashmir court on June 29 directed Poonch police to file an FIR against Zee News and News18 India under defamation, public mischief and IT Act provisions for their coverage of Qari Muhammad Iqbal.
  • Iqbal’s family served legal notices in late June seeking ₹5 crore from each channel for what they called “false, malicious and defamatory” reports.
  • Both broadcasters had claimed Iqbal was a Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen commander on the NIA’s most-wanted list despite police debunking those links days after his May 7 death in Pakistani shelling.
  • Zee News and News18 India have issued apologies for the misreporting, but the family’s counsel argues that the reputational harm is irreversible.
  • Legal experts say the case highlights growing judicial scrutiny of media ethics and the enforcement of defamation laws in conflict-zone reporting.