Jammu and Kashmir's State Investigation Agency on Thursday raided the office of the Kashmir Times after an FIR was lodged over its alleged involvement in anti-national activities.
SIA officials called Kashmir Times manager Sanjeev Karni in the wee hours on Thursday morning to open the office and started the raid around 6 am. The officials seized AK rifle rounds, cartridges, pistol rounds and three grenade levers from the Jammu office.
VIDEO | Jammu: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) conducts raid at the Kashmir Times office. More details are awaited.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 20, 2025
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According to the latest FIR, the activities and communications linked to the Kashmir Times are being probed for "potential threats to the sovereignty and integrity of India".
Who runs Kashmir Times?
The Kashmir Times was founded by late journalist Ved Bhasin in 1954 and ran the newspaper for more than 60 years. After his death in 2015, his daughter Anuradha Bhasin took over. She is currently its managing editor. Her husband, Praboth Jamwal, is also a senior editor at Kashmir Times.
The journalist couple has been staying in the US for years. In October 2020, the Srinagar office of the Kashmir Times in Press Enclave was sealed by the J&K Administration. The print edition of the newspaper was suspended in 2021-2022.
Anuradha and Prabodh have slammed the raids as "yet another attempt to silence us" in the name of "baseless accusations of activities inimical to the state".
"Journalism is not a crime. Accountability is not treason. And we will continue to inform, investigate, and advocate for those who depend on us," they added.
They pointed out that 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," the statement read.
It recalled that the Kashmir Times has stood as a pillar of independent journalism in Jammu and Kashmir since 1954, "chronicling the region's triumphs and failures with equal vigour."
"We have given voice to communities that would otherwise go unheard. We have asked difficult questions when others remained silent," it added.
