KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) National Response Centre for Cyber Crime on Wednesday interrogated a TV anchorperson of Sindh TV over accusations of online harassment and blackmail.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the FIA officials said that Sahar Shah Rizvi, an anchorperson of KTN TV, approached FIA with a complaint of online harassment and blackmailing at the hands of Sindh TV anchorperson Irshad Jagirani.
Sahar also shared a video on Facebook in which she said that the suspect has been harassing and blackmailing her through social media on the basis of her selfies taken on different occasions.
According to the FIA officials, substantial “evidence” had been obtained from the mobile phone of the suspect after it was confiscated by the agency. They further said that the suspect had confessed to his crime, adding that the victim was a former colleague of his.
Moreover, the FIA officials said that the suspect was allowed to walk free after the completion of the initial investigation but legal proceedings would soon be initiated against him.
They also said that no first information report (FIR) has been registered in connection with the case so far. However, an inquiry has been initiated over the woman’s complaint and due process would be followed after the suspect’s mobile phone undergoes forensic examination, they added.
The officials denied any reports that the suspect has been released after tendering a written apology to the complainant and said, “Since the offence was non-cognisable, the suspect was released.”
Meanwhile, different journalists’ bodies and the management of Sindh TV protested against FIA’s raid at the channel’s office to take the suspect into custody.
Talking to media persons, Sindh TV’s Current Affairs Director Fayaz Naich said that they see the FIA raid on their head office as a “violation of the sanctity of the media house".
He further said that if the agency had requested the channel, they would have handed the suspect over to FIA for investigation. “We support the complainant in this case but we see the FIA raid as a continuation of attacks on media in the country,” he added.
Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) President Ashraf Khan and General Secretary Ahmed Khan Malik said in a joint statement that the FIA raid on the media house was aimed at suppressing the freedom of expression.
“If there was a complaint against any individual, the institutions should have handled the matter as an individual case rather than raiding the media house and harassing media workers,” the statement said.
It merits mention here that reporters covering proceedings of the Sindh Assembly also boycotted the session to register their protest against FIA’s raid on the media house.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the FIA officials said that Sahar Shah Rizvi, an anchorperson of KTN TV, approached FIA with a complaint of online harassment and blackmailing at the hands of Sindh TV anchorperson Irshad Jagirani.
Sahar also shared a video on Facebook in which she said that the suspect has been harassing and blackmailing her through social media on the basis of her selfies taken on different occasions.
According to the FIA officials, substantial “evidence” had been obtained from the mobile phone of the suspect after it was confiscated by the agency. They further said that the suspect had confessed to his crime, adding that the victim was a former colleague of his.
Moreover, the FIA officials said that the suspect was allowed to walk free after the completion of the initial investigation but legal proceedings would soon be initiated against him.
They also said that no first information report (FIR) has been registered in connection with the case so far. However, an inquiry has been initiated over the woman’s complaint and due process would be followed after the suspect’s mobile phone undergoes forensic examination, they added.
The officials denied any reports that the suspect has been released after tendering a written apology to the complainant and said, “Since the offence was non-cognisable, the suspect was released.”
Meanwhile, different journalists’ bodies and the management of Sindh TV protested against FIA’s raid at the channel’s office to take the suspect into custody.
Talking to media persons, Sindh TV’s Current Affairs Director Fayaz Naich said that they see the FIA raid on their head office as a “violation of the sanctity of the media house".
He further said that if the agency had requested the channel, they would have handed the suspect over to FIA for investigation. “We support the complainant in this case but we see the FIA raid as a continuation of attacks on media in the country,” he added.
Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) President Ashraf Khan and General Secretary Ahmed Khan Malik said in a joint statement that the FIA raid on the media house was aimed at suppressing the freedom of expression.
“If there was a complaint against any individual, the institutions should have handled the matter as an individual case rather than raiding the media house and harassing media workers,” the statement said.
It merits mention here that reporters covering proceedings of the Sindh Assembly also boycotted the session to register their protest against FIA’s raid on the media house.