French TV scribe held for flouting visa norms

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police has detained an award-winning French TV journalist from summer capital Srinagar on charges of misusing his ‘business visa’ to make a documentary film on pellet victims and meeting separatist leaders.

Comiti Paul Edward was on Sunday evening detained and subsequently lodged in the city’s Kothibagh Police Station after he was allegedly found meetings separatists and pellet firing victims to shoot his documentary, the police officials here said.

Edward, a former journalist of France’s TF 1 whose documentary on Taliban ambushes on French soldiers in Afghanistan won him prestigious Bayeux-Calvados award in 2009, had arrived here about 10 days ago on a “business visa”, the officials said.

“He is travelling on passport number 17 CH 69445 and Indian visa (type business) number 900 WdC 614 valid up to 22 December 2018,” they said. “But he had violated visa norms and was found preparing documentary on pellet victims and interviewing separatists,” said a police officer.

“An FIR number 87/2017 under Section 14 B of Passport act stands registered in Police Station Khotibagh. The accused has been arrested and the French Embassy in New Delhi was informed,” the officer added.

The officials said that a business visa does not permit anyone to make a documentary film on political or security related issues. Edward may face trial under Section 14 (B) Passport Act.