Chicago – November 28, 2025
What happened
Authorities in Jammu demolished the family home of Muslim journalist Arfaz Ahmad Daing on November 27, claiming it was built on encroached state land as part of an anti-encroachment drive. Officials from the Jammu Development Authority reportedly arrived with multiple bulldozers and hundreds of security personnel, flattening the single-storey house where the family says it had lived for around 40 years.
Journalist’s allegations
Daing, who runs the digital news outlet News Sehar India, alleges his house was singled out in retaliation for his reporting, including stories linking a police officer to suspected narcotics smugglers. He has said no prior notice was given, that he was roughed up, detained with his brothers, and stopped from filming as police blocked his live coverage of the demolition.
Official stance and political reaction
Jammu authorities insist the structure was illegal and deny any political vendetta, calling the action part of a wider anti-encroachment campaign. Opposition leaders, civil society activists and journalists, however, have condemned what they describe as “selective bulldozer justice” and demanded an independent inquiry into whether due legal process was followed and whether the journalist was targeted for “showing the truth”.
