The Jammu and Kashmir police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday raided the office of the Kashmir Times in Jammu for allegedly promoting activities against the country. The probe officials conducted a thorough search of the newspaper’s premises and computers, an official told PTI. According to the officials, the agency recovered cartridges of AK rifles and some rounds of pistol, among other things.
The official further said that a case has been registered against the newspaper for “glorification of activities inimical to the interests of the country.”
VIDEO | Jammu: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) conducts raid at the Kashmir Times office. More details are awaited.
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The case has been registered against the publication and its promoters, and they are also likely to be questioned.
Kashmir Times call accusations ‘baseless’
Responding to the allegations and the subsequent raids, the Kashmir Times management called the accusations “baseless”, adding that the step would not “weaken” them.
“The reported raids on our office in Jammu, the baseless accusations of activities inimical to the state and the coordinated crackdown on the Kashmir Times are yet another attempt to silence us.” “Criticising the government is not the same as being inimical to the state. In fact, it is the very opposite. A robust, questioning press is essential to a healthy democracy. Our work of holding power to account, investigating corruption, amplifying marginalised voices strengthens our nation. It does not weaken it,” Editors Prabodh Jamwal and Anuradha Bhasin said in a joint statement.
Kashmir Times, founded in 1954 by Ved Bhasin, has consistently upheld independent journalism, the said. The Editors added that they have chronicled the region’s triumphs and failures with equal rigour.
“We have given voice to communities that would otherwise go unheard. We have asked difficult questions when others remained silent,” they added.
Calling out the government, and the raid “an intimidation tactic”, they said the agencies are targeting the organisation for the paper’s pursuit of independent reporting.
“We are being targeted precisely because we continue to do this work. In an era when critical voices are increasingly scarce, we remain one of the few independent outlets willing to speak truth to power,” the statement added.
J&K hospital’s lockers inspected
Meanwhile, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district conducted an inspection drive of lockers of the doctors and medical staff at a government medical college, officials said on Thursday. The step was taken to enhance security measures after the recent Delhi blast and recovery of arms and ammunition in the “white collar” terror module.
Officials said the drive was conducted at the Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, from where an AK-47 rifle was recovered earlier this month from Dr Adeel Rather’s locker.
The arrest of the doctor led to the busting of the “white collar” terror module, involving several doctors, and the recovery of around 2900 kg of explosive material. Later, a car exploded outside the gate of Delhi’s Red Fort metro station, killing 15 people.
Crackdown continues on Al-Falah Group
The authorities continue to work on the background of the Al-Falah Group and now, the Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh has issued a notice to the occupants and legal heirs of a residential property, belonging to Al Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui’s family. It called it unauthorised construction, and said the structure be razed within three days, an official said on Wednesday.
Faridabad-based Al Falah University, run by the Al Falah Group, is emerging as an epicentre of investigation in the November 10 Delhi blast case that killed 15 persons and injured several others.
“We have issued a notice to the house of the late Moulana Hammad, who is the father of Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui. As per the notice, the department had previously issued multiple communications dating back to 1996 and 1997 under relevant sections of the Cantonments Act, 1924, directing the removal of the unauthorised construction,” Cantonment Engineer H S Kaloya said, quoted PTI.
