Police carry out searches across Srinagar
SRINAGAR : In the wake of a recent threat to Kashmir-based journalists by a proscribed terror outfit, Srinagar Police conducted simultaneous searches at various locations across the valley.
In the wake of recent threats, a police spokesperson said a case has been registered at the Sherghari police station against terror handlers, active terrorists and terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit Lashker-eTaiba (LeT) and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) for putting outdirect threat letters to journalists and reporters based in Kashmir.
“During the course of investigation, each team comprised 4-5 members and led by an officer and launched simultaneous searches at 12 locations across the valley including the houses of Sajjad Gul, Mukhtar Baba, active terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT, TRF and other suspects in Srinagar, Anantnag and Kulgam Districts,” the spokesman added.
The spokesman said the raided premises included those owned by Mohammad Rafi at Nigeen, Khalid Gul at Anantnag, Rashid Maqbool at Lal Bazar, Momin Gulzar at Eidgah, Basit Dar at Kulgam, Sajjad Kralyari at Rainawari, Gowhar Geelani at Soura, Qazi Shibli at Anantnag, Sajjad Sheikh at Srinagar, Mukhtar Baba at Nowgam, Waseem Khalid at Rawalpora and Adil Pandit at Khanyar Srinagar.
The spokesperson said all the legal formalities were followed during the searches, adding that some suspects have been brought for questioning.
“The seized material included mobiles, laptops, memory cards, pen-drives and other digital devices, documents, bank papers, rubber stamps, passports, other suspect papers, cash and Saudi currency,” the spokesperson added.
Sources said the administration has taken serious note of the threats, especially ever since several journalists posted their resignation on social media.
The Editors Guild of India, meanwhile, on Friday condemned the threats. saying the situation mirrored the 1990s when journalists were in the “firing line of state authorities as well as terrorists.”
The guild, in a statement, said that it was deeply concerned about the recent threats issued to journalists working in Kashmir and subsequent resignations of five journalists.
On November 12, police had registered a FIR against militants, for sending threatening letters to journalists in Kashmir through a blog. At least four journalists working with a local Srinagar-based newspaper later resigned after a threatening letter featuring their names went viral on social media last week.