Balram Saini, the head of Punjab Kesari’s Jammu and Kashmir bureau, was booked by the Jammu and Kashmir police on August 9 for a “misleading report” carried by the newspaper. The report was published in the paper’s August 8 edition under the headline “Naye Jammu Kashmir Main Honge 12 Jile, 8 Jile Samapt”. The report said that eight districts will be merged with the other 12, and the newly-formed Union Territory would have 12 districts only.
After the report’s publication, the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Samba, Rohit Khajuria, was gheraoed and stones were reportedly thrown at government functionaries. The Samba police have filed an FIR against the author of the report.
