Police raid 'Kashmir Times' office; seize AK-47 cartridges, pistol rounds
What's the story
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday raided the office of Kashmir Times in Jammu on Thursday. The raid was conducted after an FIR was registered against the newspaper for allegedly promoting anti-national activities. The FIR also named Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor of Kashmir Times, for allegedly spreading disaffection and glorifying secessionism.
Evidence discovered
Raids yield AK-47 cartridges, grenade levers
During the raid, the SIA recovered several items, including AK-47 cartridges, pistol rounds, and three grenade levers, multiple news channels reported. The investigation is focused on Bhasin's alleged connections and activities that "threaten the sovereignty" of India, sources told NDTV. The promoters of the publication are likely to be questioned, PTI reported. The Kashmir Times was founded by Ved Bhasin in 1954 as a weekly newspaper and later became a daily in 1964.
Editors' statement
Kashmir Times editors respond to raids
Responding to the raids, Kashmir Times editors Prabodh Jamwal and Bhasin have called them "yet another attempt to silence us." They said, "Criticizing the government is not the same as being inimical to the state. In fact, it is the very opposite." The editors also emphasized their commitment to independent journalism and urged authorities to stop what they termed harassment against them.
Call for support
Editors urge media and citizens to stand with them
The editors have also appealed to other media professionals and citizens who value their right to know to recognize this moment as a test of whether journalism can survive in an increasingly authoritarian environment. They said, "Journalism is not a crime. Accountability is not treason." "Our print edition was suspended in 2021-2022 after relentless targeting, but we continue the operation digitally. All our reporting and writing are publicly available on kashmirtimes.com," the statement added.