Indian authorities raided the Jammu city office of the Kashmir Times in India-administered Kashmir on Thursday, seizing documents and digital equipment in an operation that press freedom groups say underscores growing pressure on journalists in the region.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged police in the disputed region to return the confiscated material and to ensure that no criminal charges are brought against the newspaper's staff for their reporting.
"The raid on the Kashmir Times office is deeply troubling and raises concerns about increasing pressure on media outlets in Jammu and Kashmir," said CPJ's Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder, calling for transparency and a clear explanation of the legal basis for the operation.
Officers from the State Investigation Agency conducted the raid early on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Police have yet to publicly explain the action, though an official told the Kashmir Observer it was linked to an investigation into alleged "glorification of activities inimical to the interests of the country".
It remains unclear which articles may have prompted the move.
Local Indian media, including the Deccan Herald, reported that authorities have also filed a first information report naming Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin.
She told CPJ she was unaware of any such case and noted that the Jammu city office has been inactive since 2022 due to financial constraints, holding only old computers and archival material.
The paper has operated largely online since its Srinagar office — located on government-rented premises — was sealed in 2020.
The police in the India-administered Kashmir region did not respond to a request for comment.
The Himalayan region, divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, remains one of the world's most militarised zones.
