Weapons Recovered During Newspaper Office Raid
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir conducted early morning raids on Thursday at the Residency Road office of Kashmir Times, one of the region's oldest English newspaper houses. The operation, which began at 6 am, resulted in the alleged recovery of multiple weapons and ammunition from the newspaper's premises.
According to official statements from the probe agency, the seized items included one revolver, 14 empty cases of AK-series weapons, three live AK rounds, four fired bullets, three grenade safety levers, and three suspected pistol rounds. The raid was part of an ongoing investigation into the newspaper's alleged involvement with secessionist elements.
Newspaper Owners Condemn Raid as "Unfounded"
The newspaper's owners and editors, Anuradha Bhasin and her husband Prabodh Jamwal, who are currently believed to be in the United States, strongly condemned the searches in an official statement. They described the accusations as completely "unfounded" and characterized the entire operation as an "attempt to silence" their publication.
In their strongly worded response, Bhasin and Jamwal stated that the allegations "are designed to intimidate, to delegitimize, and ultimately to silence" their voice. They called upon authorities to "immediately cease this harassment, withdraw these unfounded allegations, and respect the constitutional guarantees of press freedom."
Official Statements and Wider Context
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary defended the SIA's actions, claiming that such operations only follow when wrongdoing is established and "not for the sake of pressure." This statement came amid growing controversy surrounding the raid.
The SIA operation occurs against the backdrop of recent security developments in the region. Just days earlier, J&K Police announced they had busted a terror module centered in Faridabad, resulting in the arrest of at least three doctors from Jammu and Kashmir. A fourth suspect was reportedly seen driving the car that exploded near Delhi's Red Fort on November 10, an incident that claimed nine lives.
According to the SIA's chargesheet, Kashmir Times faces multiple allegations including:
- Disseminating terrorist and secessionist ideology
- Spreading inflammatory, fabricated and false narratives
- Attempting to radicalize the youth of J&K
- Inciting disaffection and separatist sentiments
- Disturbing peace and public order
- Challenging India's sovereignty through print and digital content
Search Operation Details
Officials revealed that the searches commenced after SIA officials contacted the newspaper's manager, Sanjeev Kerni, from his home to open the office. Around noon, sources indicated that SIA took Kerni to the Gandhi Nagar residence of Prabodh Jamwal, where they conducted additional searches for nearly two hours.
The residence is currently occupied by Ved Bhasin's eldest daughter, Anju Bhasin, the former vice-chancellor of Jammu's Cluster University, who is also believed to be abroad. During the investigations, the SIA team examined numerous documents, digital equipment, and other materials as part of their probe.
Officials confirmed that the agency is likely to question Anuradha Bhasin in connection with the case. They emphasized that this operation forms part of the agency's broader action against networks suspected of supporting separatist narratives or unlawful propaganda in the region.
Founded by veteran journalist Ved Bhasin in 1954, Kashmir Times had ceased publication of its print edition from Jammu and now operates primarily online. The raid has sparked significant debate about press freedom and security operations in the region.
