SIA raids Kashmir Times office; editors say action meant to 'intimidate and silence'

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday raided the Jammu office of the Kashmir Times, prompting its editors to denounce the move as an attempt to “intimidate and silence” the newspaper.

The raid followed an FIR in which the agency named Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin, accusing her of “anti-national activities” and spreading disaffection against the country.

The FIR alleges that the newspaper engaged in acts that “glorify secessionism” and pose a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and the Union Territory. During the search, SIA officials reportedly recovered AK-47 cartridges, pistol rounds and three grenade levers.

Sources said SIA teams entered the office early in the morning and conducted an extensive search for several hours, examining documents, computers and digital devices to probe Bhasin’s “alleged links and activities that threaten the sovereignty of India.”

In a strongly worded statement carried on the newspaper’s website, editors Prabodh Jamwal and Anuradha Bhasin rejected the allegations as “false, motivated and designed to intimidate, to delegitimize and ultimately to silence.”

“We have chronicled the region’s triumphs and failures with equal rigour. We have given voice to communities that would otherwise go unheard. We are being targeted precisely because we continue to do this work,” they said, adding that they “will not be silenced.”
Calling the charges an attack on press freedom, the editors urged the media fraternity, civil society and citizens “who value their right to know” to recognise that this moment is a test of whether journalism can survive “in an environment of increasing authoritarianism.”

"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 statement added.

Founded in 1954, Kashmir Times is among J&K’s oldest English-language newspapers. Its founding editor, the late Ved Bhasin, was known for advocating dialogue, reconciliation and human rights until his death in 2015.

Anuradha Bhasin, who succeeded him, became widely known after she challenged the post-2019 communication blackout in the Supreme Court, a case that led to a landmark ruling that indefinite internet restrictions are unconstitutional.

The newspaper has faced a series of administrative and legal challenges in recent years, including the sealing of its Srinagar office in 2020. Thursday’s raid is the most serious action yet against the organisation.

Officials said further questioning and forensic analysis of the seized material will follow as part of the investigation.