A Kashmiri journalist working for Gemernay’s public-service broadcaster Deutsche Welle has alleged that he was stopped from flying abroad at the Delhi airport on Saturday. Gowhar Geelani said that he was on his way to Germany to attend an 8-day journalism programme when authorities stopped him from leaving India at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
“I had checked in, and at the Immigration was asked by the staff to accompany them to a room, where an officer, who identified himself as Abhishek, told me that they have instructions not to allow me to leave the country,” Indian Express quoted Geelani as saying.
When Geelani asked why he was being detained, officials said that they had the order from the top to stop him from leaving India. The Indian Express report also added that ‘as of now, he is with Immigration officials.’
Geelani had reportedly worked with Deutsche Welle even in the past but had left his job befoe joining the broadcaster again in a new role.
Last month, Kashmiri IAS topper-turned-politician Shah Faesal was arrested from the Delhi airport after authorities stopped him from leaving India. He was reportedly flying to Turkey.
The government has taken dozens of Kashmiri politicians in preventive custody since it announced the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.