Kashmir Times’ Jammu office raided; publication calls it 'attempt to suppress media institution'

The State Investigation Agency of the Jammu and Kashmir Police raided the office of the Kashmir Times here on Thursday for allegedly promoting activities against the country and recovered cartridges of AK rifles and some rounds of pistol, among other things.

Officials said SIA sleuths conducted a thorough 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 said.

Reacting to the raid, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder 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, action should be taken...if you do it only to (build) pressure, then that will be wrong,” Choudhary told reporters here.

Kashmir Times slams raids, calls accusations 'an attempt to silence independent journalism'         

The Kashmir Times management on Thursday 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, 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 delegitimize, and ultimately to silence. We will not be silenced.”

The duo urged authorities to withdraw the charges and stop the alleged harassment. “We call on the authorities to immediately cease this harassment, withdraw these unfounded allegations, and respect the constitutional guarantees of press freedom,” they said while appealing to media colleagues, civil society, and citizens to stand in solidarity.

They reiterated that journalism is not a crime. “Accountability is not treason. And we will continue to inform, investigate, and advocate for those who depend on us. The state may have the power to raid our offices. But it cannot raid our commitment to the truth.”

The editors added that although the newspaper's print edition was suspended in 2021-22 following “relentless targeting”, Kashmir Times continues to operate digitally, and all its work remains publicly accessible on its website.