On Thursday, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police carried out search operations at the Jammu office of the Kashmir Times over alleged involvement in anti-national activities.
The case, filed against the English daily owned by Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal, also accuses the publication of promoting separatist narratives.
As per the officials, 14 AK-47 cartridges, several pistol rounds and three hand-grenade pins have been recovered during the operation, though a formal statement is still awaited.
The action marks a renewed crackdown nearly five years after the Srinagar office of the newspaper was sealed in October 2020.
In a strongly worded response, the management of the Kashmir Times condemned the raids, calling them “a coordinated attempt to suppress an independent media institution”.
Editors Prabodh Jamwal and Anuradha Bhasin said the allegations were “baseless” and aimed at silencing a critical press.
They stressed that questioning the government was not equivalent to being “inimical to the state”, arguing that independent journalism strengthens democracy by holding power to account and amplifying marginalised voices.
Founded in 1954 by veteran journalist Ved Bhasin, the Kashmir Times said it remains committed to its legacy of independent reporting despite increasing pressure.
