The Counter Intelligence unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and conducted search operations concerning two contentious publications that allegedly glorify separatist figures, according to officials.
The disputed books are identified as ‘Personalities and Legends of J&K’, co-authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and released by the Jammu-based Oberoi Book Service, and ‘Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir’, written by Sushant Giri and published by Anurag Prakashan, which is based in Delhi.
Officials stated that 123 copies of the first book had been distributed to the districts of Jammu, Ramban, and Udhampur, while 128 copies of the second were supplied to Jammu and Baramulla.
The FIR was lodged at the Police Station Counter Intelligence in Jammu, invoking Sections 49 (abetment), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 152 (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 196 (promoting enmity and disharmony), and 353 (publishing or circulating false statements, rumors, or reports) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alongside Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the officials added.
Following the registration of the case, the Counter Intelligence team raided the premises belonging to one of the publishers situated at Bahu Plaza in Jammu city. The officials noted that the searches were conducted to gather relevant material for the ongoing investigation. During these operations, investigators confiscated both physical documents and digital records, though they confirmed that no arrests have been made thus far.
This development follows prior action taken by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who suspended eight School Education Department officials, terminated a contractual employee, and mandated an inquiry into the two books after they were found to contain “highly inappropriate content.”
The administration’s response came in the wake of objections raised by the BJP, Congress, and other political groups, who alleged that the publications “glorified” separatism. In a related order, the School Education Department had already withdrawn the two books on Friday.
