The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday searched the office of Kashmir Times in Jammu on charges of involvement in anti-national activities and recovered AK rifle cartridges and some pistol cartridges, among others.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary asked investigating agencies not to “select” media organizations for raids, saying no pressure should be put on the press.
Read also | NIA nabs 4 more main accused in Red Fort blast case, taking total number of arrests to 6
“Agencies are doing their job. If a raid has to be done, it should not be done on a pick and choose basis. If they have done something wrong, action should be taken but not just to create pressure. The press is the fourth estate and should be given space to practice journalism,” Surinder Choudhary told reporters.
The management of Kashmir Times has strongly criticized the reported raids on its office in Jammu, terming the allegations of anti-state activities as a coordinated attempt to suppress an independent media institution.
The editors said Kashmir Times, founded in 1954 by Ved Bhasin, has consistently championed independent journalism.
“We chronicled the region’s triumphs and failures with equal rigor. We gave voice to communities that would otherwise have gone unheard. We asked tough questions when others were silent,” they said.
From 2023, the media company switched to a digital multimedia format, replacing the previous print edition.
Read also | Journalist brutally killed in UP Prayagraj; accused arrested after encounter
They argued that the organization was targeted to continue independent reporting. “We are targeted precisely because we continue to do this work. At a time when critical voices are increasingly rare, we remain one of the few independent organizations willing to speak truth to power,” the statement added.
The editors called the allegations a “scare tactic” and said: “The allegations leveled against us are designed to intimidate, delegitimize and ultimately silence us. We will not be silenced.”
Security officials outside Kashmir Times office during a raid by the State Investigation Agency in Jammu on Thursday, November 20, 2025. (PTI Photo)
They reiterated that journalism is not a crime. “Accountability is not treason. And we will continue to inform, investigate and defend those who depend on us. The state may have the power to invade our offices. But it cannot challenge our commitment to the truth.”
The editors added that although the newspaper’s print edition was suspended in 2021-22 after “relentless targeting”, Kashmir Times continues to operate digitally and all its work remains publicly accessible on its website.
Read also | Did this PoK politician hint at Pakistan’s hand in the Delhi blast?
Anuradha Bhasin was also the petitioner in the landmark case of Anuradha Bhasin versus Union of India, in which the Supreme Court gave a judgment seeking only a temporary shutdown of the internet, ANI reported.
“The order is inadmissible under the Temporary Suspension of Telecommunication Services (Public Emergency or Public Service) Rules, 2017. The suspension can only be used for temporary duration,” the judgment said.
(With input from agencies)
