Kanoon Ki Dastak
The family of Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a government school teacher killed in cross-border shelling in Poonch on May 7, 2025, has served legal notices on national news channels Zee News and News18 India, demanding ₹5 crore compensation each for what they allege was false, defamatory, and irresponsible reporting.
According to the notice served through S.S. Ahmed & Associates, the two prominent media houses falsely reported that Qari Iqbal, a resident of Baila, Tehsil Mandi, was a “hardcore terrorist” associated with banned outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. The reports further claimed that he was involved in the Pulwama terror attack and was killed by Indian forces in a terrorist camp in Kotli, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In reality, the teacher lost his life during Pakistani shelling and succumbed to injuries at District Hospital Poonch. The family has called the reportage “slanderous, baseless, and deeply hurtful,” asserting that such claims not only maligned the deceased’s reputation but also inflicted severe emotional trauma on the bereaved family.
The legal notice describes the reporting as a “textbook example of yellow journalism,” accusing the channels of gross negligence, violation of journalistic ethics, and disregard for government advisories and Press Council of India guidelines. The notice emphasizes that no apology can undo the reputational damage caused, and only exemplary compensation can serve as a measure of accountability.
The family has given both media outlets a deadline of three weeks to respond and take necessary action, failing which they may proceed with legal recourse.