On Saturday, the judicial magistrate granted Gul bail against a bond of Rs 30,000 and directed him to cooperate with the investigations

Jammu and Kashmir police detained trainee journalist Sajad Gul under the stringent Public Safety Act on Sunday, a day after a court in Bandipora had granted him bail in another case and before he could be released.

Gul had been arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy on January 6 after he allegedly posted a video of a family shouting anti-government slogans over the killing of their son, a militant. His latest detention relates to a case of attempt to murder.

On Saturday, the judicial magistrate, Sumbal, granted Gul bail against a bond of Rs 30,000 and directed him to cooperate with the investigations.

As his family waited for his release, they were told on Sunday that he had been booked under the PSA, which allows detention without trial for up to six months.

Gul’s counsel Umair Ronga said the family had learnt on Saturday, after the journalist had got bail, that another FIR had been lodged against him on January 3 charging him with attempt to murder and other offences.

“We submitted the bail application on January 10 and they (the police) submitted a report on January 12 making no mention of this (January 3) FIR. In this case, the complainant is Abdul Hameed but no accused has been mentioned. The IO (investigating officer) seems to have said that he (Gul) was involved in this case as well,” Ronga told The Telegraph.

“A team from Kashmir Walla (a digital magazine with which Gul works) and his family have approached the police for the dossier to learn the grounds for his detention. They have been told the dossier has been handed over to Sajad (Gul) but he is in Kot Bhalwal jail. This is harassment. Once I get the dossier, we shall file a habeas corpus petition seeking his release.”

Officials have confirmed that Gul has been shifted to the Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, more than 300km from his home in Shahgund.

Gul’s family said the army had picked him up during a raid on his home on January 6 and later handed him over to the police.

The New York-based media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists, has said it has been “deeply disturbed” by the young reporter’s arrest and sought his immediate release.

The police have arrested, booked or summoned dozens of journalists in Kashmir as part of a crackdown on dissent since the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and special status.

In the case in which Gul was granted bail, the police had said he had uploaded videos of “anti-government slogans by some women folk, mostly relatives” at the home of militant commander Salim Parrey who was killed on January 5, thereby “trying to disrupt the peace”.

“His activities are prejudicial to the security and sovereignty of the country,” the police said.

The outspoken Gul had earlier been booked in February last year after he had written an article on alleged corruption in the administration. He has since then alleged harassment several times.

The government has denied the allegations and accused Gul of instigating a mob to oppose a demolition drive.