Islamabad police refuse to register case against Cynthia

Says it is a case of cybercrime and falls under FIA

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Friday refused to register a case against US blogger Cynthia D Ritchie citing that it was a cybercrime case and fell under the Federal Investigation Agency.

Petitioner Waqas Ahmad Abbasi submitted a written application on June 1,” the Islamabad Police said adding that after evaluation it was found that the case needed to be investigated by FIA cybercrime.

The petitioner was directed to approach the FIA Cyber Crime wing by the police. The report was submitted to the district court of Islamabad by Bani Gala police station.

Earlier on Jun 9, FIA asked an Islamabad sessions court to dismiss a plea against US blogger Cynthia Ritchie for her slanderous tweets about former prime minister Benazir Bhutto contending that the petitioner, PPP Islamabad President Shakeel Abbasi, was not an affected party.

However, Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani issued a notice to Cynthia seeking her response by June 13.

The FIA, in its written response to the court, argued that according to its rules, only the aggrieved party — the targeted victim or their guardian — could lodge such a complaint with the agency.

A day earlier, Ritchie served a legal notice on former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, demanding Rs120 million in damages for tarnishing her reputation at both national and international levels.

On June 10, the former prime minister sent a legal notice to Cynthia, seeking Rs100 million in damages, an apology and denying that he met her when he was the premier.