Cops raid Central Jail in Srinagar, seize cellphones, digital devices

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday conducted a search operation at the Central Jail in Srinagar, recovering SIM cards, mobile phones and other digital devices.

In a statement, the police said the searches were carried out in pursuance of a warrant in connection with a case involving a larger conspiracy allegedly hatched by “proscribed terrorist organisations operating within J&K and across the LoC at the behest of Pakistani agencies, in connivance with their overground workers (OGWs), supporters, facilitators and sympathisers in the Kashmir Valley.”

The police alleged that these organisations are actively creating “new terror modules” by misusing social media applications to lure Kashmiri youth through radicalisation, instigation and provocation.

During the investigation, it was revealed that mobile phones were being used inside the Central Jail by undertrial terrorists as well as OGWs and supporters of various proscribed organisations. These devices were allegedly used to communicate with active terrorists and to relay instructions from handlers across the border to further terrorist activities.

Searches were conducted in different blocks of the Central Jail, resulting in the recovery of incriminating materials, including SIM cards, mobile phones and other digital devices relevant to the ongoing investigation.

The police are also investigating a possible security breach within the jail premises to determine how these communication devices were smuggled inside. Facilitators or collaborators involved in this act will also be investigated, the statement added.

The operation aims to uncover critical evidence, curb illicit activities and prevent the misuse of communication devices within high-security zones, including jails. It is part of broader efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem in the Union Territory by identifying and taking legal action against terrorist associates and OGWs who misuse such devices to support and abet terrorism.