Kashmir Times office in Jammu raided; SIA claims AK rifle cartridges found

The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) raided the office of the Kashmir Times in Jammu on Thursday (November 20) for reportedly promoting activities against the country, recovering cartridges of AK rifles and several pistol rounds, among other items. Kashmir Times is one of the oldest and most prominent newspapers of Jammu and Kashmir. The newspaper is now operating digitally.

Officials said SIA personnel carried out an extensive search of the newspaper’s premises and computers after a case was registered against the publication and its promoters.

In the raid, the SIA seized cartridges of AK rifles, some rounds of pistol and hand grenade pins, among other items, they said. The promoters of the publication are likely to be questioned, they informed.

Reacting to the raid, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Singh Choudhary said action should follow only in cases where wrongdoing is established and not for the sake of pressure. “If they have done something wrong, then action should be taken...if you do it only to (build) pressure, then that will be wrong,” Choudhary told reporters.

Kashmir Times slams raids

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Times management sharply criticised the reported raids on its Jammu office, terming the allegations of activities inimical to the state a coordinated attempt to suppress an independent media institution.

In a joint statement issued on social media, Editors Prabodh Jamwal and Anuradha Bhasin said, “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, and amplifying marginalised voices strengthens our nation. It does not weaken it,” they said.

The editors said Kashmir Times, founded in 1954 by Ved Bhasin, has consistently upheld independent journalism. “We 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 said.

They alleged that the organisation was being targeted for continuing to pursue 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.

Calling the allegations “an intimidation tactic”, the editors said, “The accusations levelled against us are designed to intimidate, to delegitimise, and ultimately to silence. We will not be silenced.”

(With agency inputs)