The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday conducted simultaneous searches in Jammu and Noida as part of its investigation into the alleged glorification of separatists in two publications.
CI team searched the headquarters of Samagra Shiksha at Channi Himmat in Jammu and questioned the director and other officials in connection with the ongoing probe.
Simultaneously, another team carried out searches at the office of one of the publishers in Noida. Officials said the searches were continuing when the last reports were received.
The publications under scrutiny are ‘Personalities and Legends of J&K’, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Jammu-based Oberoi Book Service, and ‘Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir’, authored by Sushant Giri and published by Delhi-based Anurag Prakashan. The books came under scrutiny after several political parties and other groups alleged that they contained material glorifying separatists.
On Saturday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha suspended eight officials of the School Education Department, removed a contractual employee and ordered an inquiry into the two books, terming their contents “highly inappropriate.”
According to officials, 123 copies of one of the books were supplied to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the other book were distributed in Jammu and Baramulla districts.
An FIR was registered on Saturday under 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, rumours or reports) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), besides Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Following the registration of the case, the Counter Intelligence unit searched the premises of one of the publishers at Bahu Plaza in Jammu city as part of the investigation. Officials said investigators have seized physical documents and digital evidence during the searches, though no arrests have been made so far.
The School Education Department had withdrawn both books from circulation on Friday after objections were raised over their contents.
