DELHI/JAMMU: Leading journalism advocacy groups have strongly condemned a police raid on the Kashmir Times office in Jammu, calling it a direct assault on press freedom and demanding the immediate return of seized materials and protection for journalists.
Committee to Protect Journalists Demands Action
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement on November 20 calling on authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to return documents and property seized during Thursday's raid and ensure that news outlet staff are not threatened with criminal charges for their journalistic work.
CPJ Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder expressed deep concern about the raid, stating that it raises troubling questions about increasing pressure on media outlets in the region. The organization emphasized that authorities must clearly explain the legal basis for the action and ensure any investigation is conducted with transparency and due process, rather than using outlets as punitive action simply for doing journalistic work.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) claimed in a November 20 statement that Kashmir Times was involved in a criminal conspiracy with secessionist armed entities in Jammu and Kashmir, and that police had confiscated arms, ammunition, digital devices, and incriminating material. The outlet had allegedly been spreading “inflammatory and false narratives”.
An Unacceptable Attack: RSF
Even though the Kashmir Times' editorial offices in Jammu have been closed for four years, the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) raided them and seized professional equipment. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this unacceptable attack of one of the region’s few independent media outlets and calls for the false charges against the newspaper and its editor-in-chief to be dropped.
Célia Mercier Head of the RSF South Asia desk said, “The Kashmir Times is a recurring target of the authorities in a context of increased repression of the media in Jammu and Kashmir – a region that has become a virtual black hole as far as information is concerned, since its autonomy was revoked in 2019. RSF condemns the punitive targeting of an independent media outlet and a fabricated case designed to silence one of the few critical voices that continues to cover Kashmir. The NGO calls on the Indian authorities to put an end to this harassment and drop the false charges against the media outlet and its editor-in-chief."
In the early hours of Thursday 20 November, agents from the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA), searched the premises of the Kashmir Times in Jammu, the territory's winter capital, with the help of police officers. According to RSF information, they then seized documents and computers on the premises, despite the fact that the newspaper's offices have been out of use since 2021.
The SIA also reportedly filed a complaint (FIR) naming Anuradha Bhasin, the editor-in-chief of the Kashmir Times — who currently lives abroad — claiming that she and the media outlet had shared content it considered a “threat to the sovereignty and integrity” of the country, according to the daily, Indian Express, which cites “official sources”. The journalist told RSF that she had not been informed of any official legal proceedings brought against her.
Between August and October 2019, the government withdrew its advertisements from the newspaper after the editor took a case to the Indian Supreme Court to challenge the 18-month-long internet blackout imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019-21. In October 2020, its offices in the city of Srinagar were sealed off by the authorities and employees were evicted without any official proceedings. The media outlet was then forced to suspend its print edition between October 2022 and November 2023, before relaunching solely online. In addition to its editor-in-chief and her husband, the editorial staff now purely consists of freelance journalists.
On 5 August 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department ordered the banning of 25 books on the conflict, history, and politics of Kashmir, including Anuradha Bhasin's journalistic work, “A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir After Article 370”.
DIGIPUB condemns raids
The DIGIPUB News India Foundation also condemned what it termed raids and escalating harassment of the Kashmir Times by Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Investigation Agency, describing the targeting of an independent and credible news organization as a direct assault on press freedom.
In a detailed statement dated November 20, 2025, the DIGIPUB News India Foundation expressed deep concern about what it described as increasing instances of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir being subjected to intimidation under the guise of verification and background checks, stating that such patterns weaken independent journalism and undermine the public's right to information.
DIGIPUB emphasized that a free press is the backbone of democracy and urged authorities to immediately halt all coercive measures against Kashmir Times, ensuring journalists can work without fear or reprisal. The statement concluded by affirming that journalism is not a crime and that any attempt to silence independent voices harms the core values of democracy.
Press Club of India Seeks Clarification
The Press Club of India issued its own statement on November 21, expressing deep concern about allegations raised against Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin and the subsequent raid on the Jammu office.
The Press Club noted that Kashmir Times has a long history of credible independent journalism dating back to the 1950s, and called for authorities to spell out exactly what activities the editor and publication allegedly conducted against the country.
The statement highlighted that the raid and charges came after Bhasin wrote in the publication criticising the government regarding a recent blast in Old Delhi. It also noted that Bhasin was a petitioner in the Supreme Court against the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which had bestowed special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Press Club emphasized that the question of press freedom and the right to dissent in a democracy are intertwined in this case. The organization also raised concerns about the claimed recovery of weapons and ammunition, noting that Bhasin told press persons the premises were shut for some years with no staff employed there.
The statement concluded by reiterating that press freedom is an essential requisite in a democracy and no attempt must be made to scuttle it.
Delhi Union of Journalists Condemns New Digital Rules and Kashmir Times Raid
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC), and National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) issued a joint statement on November 21, 2025, condemning what they described as growing threats to press freedom in India, with particular focus on recent attacks on the Kashmir Times.
The organizations expressed alarm over new rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act will severely curtail the Right to Information and directly impact journalists' ability to extract information regarding irregularities committed by officialdom and the political class. According to the statement, the new rules are inserting a "privacy" provision that could result in journalists being penalized for revealing information on corruption by individuals in public life. The groups characterized this as giving one more attempt by the government to control the media and ensure its silence on controversial matters.
The DUJ, IWPC and NAJ described the raid on the Kashmir Times office as another attack on media freedom in Kashmir. According to the statement, the newspaper—a daily established in 1955—was forced to go completely digital as advertising revenue declined, including government advertising, after the internet blackout of October 2020. The Kashmir Times office in Jammu, unused for the past three or four years according to its editors, has now become the target of what the groups characterized as yet another threat to press freedom in the region.
The statement noted that the office was sealed by authorities on the day it was raided, with computers and equipment seized and not returned to date.
NWMI, journalists condemn raid
The Network for Women in Media, India (NWMI) said that “this coordinated crackdown on the Kashmir Times is yet another attempt to silence the journalism they pursue.” The organization said that it stands in solidarity with Kashmir Times, and its managing editor Anuradha Bhasin, who is also an NWMI member.
Several journalists took to social media to condemn the targeting of Kashmir Times. Hartosh Singh Bal, political editor of The Caravan, wrote: “Independence and courage in any journalist has been reason enough to go after them on any pretext whatsoever, but we seem to be witnessing a new low with the targeting of Anuradha Bhasin.”
In a separate tweet, he wrote, “Kashmir Times and Anuradha Bhasin personally have attracted the ire of the authorities because she showed the gumption to challenge in the Supreme Court the circumstances- in particular closure of the internet and curfews, both of which made journalism impossible- that flowed from the deeply troubling decision taken by the Government of India on August 5 last year.”
“Democracy dies in darkness...and in silence against such patently politically motivated raids,” tweeted Suhasini Haider, Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu.
Political Leaders Rally Behind Kashmir Times, Condemn Raid
Several political leaders from across India's spectrum have voiced strong support for the Kashmir Times and its editors following the police raid, with statements highlighting the newspaper's decades-long commitment to truth and press freedom.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator Mohd. Yousuf Tarigami tweeted in defense of Kashmir Times, stating that the newspaper "has remained steadfast in its commitment to the truth for decades." Tarigami emphasized that any strong-arm tactics to browbeat a free press undermine the very principles of democracy, adding that independent journalism continues to stand its ground despite pressure.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary criticized the raid, stating that action should follow only in cases where wrongdoing is established and not for the sake of pressure. "If they have done something wrong, then action should be taken. If you do it only to (build) pressure, then that will be wrong," Choudhary told reporters, questioning the timing and motivation behind the police action.
Peoples Democratic Party leader, Iltija Mufti took to social media platform X to defend the newspaper's integrity, writing: "Kashmir Times is one of those rare newspapers in Kashmir that not only spoke truth to power but refused to bend or buckle under pressure & intimidation."
Mufti condemned what she described as the preposterous nature of raiding offices under the guise of investigating anti-national activities, stating: "Raiding their offices under the guise of carrying out anti-national activities is preposterous & reeks of high-handedness. In Kashmir, every outlet of truth is being choked by invoking the anti-national slur. Are we all anti-nationals?"
"Through every threat and every setback, Kashmir Times stood undaunted because the regime knew the paper would always stand by the truth," Jammu-based lawyer and PDP leader, Aditya Gupta wrote on X.
He added, “Shri Ved Bhasin, founder of Kashmir Times, built one of the boldest voices in J&K. A fearless, truthful, and impossible to silence. His daughter carried that legacy forward with the same grit. For decades, the paper exposed some of Kashmir’s biggest stories of human rights abuses, disappearances, governance failures, and major political shifts.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, expressed concern about widespread harassment of Kashmiri journalists. He stated that news of harassment keeps coming in from all over, which he described as very disturbing.
The religious leader said reports have emerged from Himachal and other places where Kashmiris have been harassed, noting that in housing colonies Kashmiris are being singled out and questioned simply because of their identity.
Referring specifically to the raids on the Kashmir Times office in Jammu, Mirwaiz lamented that press freedom had become a target of authorities and that every dissenting voice from that of the authorities was seen as anti-India and a threat. He emphasized that a free and fair media was essential for democracy and that silencing it weakens democratic values.
Mirwaiz stated that Kashmir Times has a great legacy established by Ved Bhasin, which the current management is carrying forward, adding that resorting to such tactics is extremely unfortunate and uncalled for.
Former Srinagar Mayor Criticizes Targeting of KT
Junaid Azim Mattu, former Mayor of Srinagar, issued a strongly worded statement defending editorial independence and condemning what he characterized as the inappropriate targeting of Kashmir Times, arguing that such actions represent a moral contradiction and affront to India's constitutional values.
Mattu began his statement by acknowledging the right to disagree with media outlets while drawing a firm line against state action to determine media content. "You might dislike the editorial policy of a newspaper. You may disagree with the ideology of its editorial team. And that's fine," he stated. "What is improper and malafide is for the State to decide what sort of media is palatable and what sort is unpalatable. That is an affront to not just our Constitution but also our standing as a free, democratic Republic where the integrity of institutions has to be uniform, principled and professional. Irrespective of politics and power."
The former mayor expressed dismay at what he described as the practice of beating every dissenting voice or platform with the "anti-national" stick, calling it deeply problematic and ultimately counterproductive. "It will lead us nowhere," Mattu warned. "To push out contrarian voice or platforms in this fashion is a gift to the enemies of peace and stability - the very forces we endeavour to defeat."
Mattu noted that the region has witnessed the makeovers of regional newspapers over the last few years, from independent publications to what he characterized as appendages and extensions of the State.
In a pointed critique, Mattu argued that the morality of the nationalism discourse should have been uniform. "To take a sledge hammer and bludgeon Kashmir Times, a soft target, is a moral contradiction for those who continue to promote and nurture newspapers that fail this very test of moral scrutiny on the scale of nationalism. And on the scale of journalism - at least what it used to mean."
Civil Society Groups say, raid troubling
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) issued a strong condemnation of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) raid on the Kashmir Times office and the registration of an FIR against Managing Editor Anuradha Bhasin, describing the action as part of a broader pattern of intimidation and retaliation against journalists in the region.
The group characterized the raid on one of Kashmir's oldest and most respected media institutions as a deeply troubling escalation that cannot be separated from the broader context of intimidation faced by journalists in the region. According to CASR, such coercive measures risk being seen as deliberate attempts to silence critical and dissenting voices.
The organization outlined what it described as a pattern of retaliation against the journalist. CASR noted that even Bhasin's book has reportedly faced government restrictions. In addition to the latest action, the statement highlighted that Anuradha Bhasin's recent book, which documents press restrictions and the erosion of civil liberties in Kashmir, was reportedly barred from public events and faced government-imposed obstacles.
The organization stated that this pattern of blocking her work, both journalistic and literary, reinforces the perception that she is being singled out for her outspoken critique and documentation of ground realities.
CASR emphasized that when a journalist's professional work, from news reporting to published books, is repeatedly met with state interference, the message becomes unmistakably clear: critical voices are being penalised.
Raja Muzaffar, Director of the Board at South Asia Democracy Watch USA, issued a statement highlighting the newspaper's seven-decade legacy. According to the statement, since 1954, Kashmir Times has been a pillar of truth—amplifying unheard voices, exposing corruption, demanding accountability, and documenting the lived realities of Jammu and Kashmir.
The statement emphasized that the newspaper's editors and journalists have stood tall against relentless pressure, refusing to compromise their commitment to honest reporting even when their very survival has been threatened. Muzaffar stressed: "Let it be clear: criticism is essential, not criminal. A free and questioning press does not weaken democracy—it sustains it."
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