Kashmir journalist Sajad Gul 'arrested, charged with criminal conspiracy': The Kashmir Walla

A trainee reporter with the Kashmir Walla, Sajad Gul, was reportedly arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy and other penal charges in Srinagar, the news portal reported today.

According to Kashmir Walla, the arrest comes days after Gul "posted a video of family members and relatives raising anti-India slogans after the killing of their kin, a militant, in a gunfight in Srinagar". The militant, Salim Parray, was killed on January 3.

Gul is also pursuing his masters in journalism at the Central University of Kashmir.

Gul's family member told Kashmir Walla the journalist had been "detained in an army raid on January 5" and "later handed over to the police". The website confirmed Gul's arrest and the case registered against him with a police officer.

The media organisation's editor, Fahad Shah, confirmed the news as well on social media.

The Asia desk of the Committee to Protect Journalists tweeted that it was "deeply disturbed" by reports of Gul's arrest and urged authorities to "immediately release" him.

On December 29, Article 14 published a report on Gul, stating he was facing "police cases for doing his job". The report quoted him as saying, "Whenever I start working or reading, in the back of my mind I have this thought that police may raid my house any time."