Police in IIOJK raid journalists' houses over online threats

Local journalist Sajad Ahmad Kralyari was detained for questioning during raid

SRINAGAR:

Police in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) raided the houses of several journalists on Saturday in an investigation of anonymous online threats to around a dozen journalists, a top police official said.

Police have blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot the Resistance Front for the threats.

Local journalist Sajad Ahmad Kralyari was detained for questioning during the raid, and his laptop, camera and cellphone were seized, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

The raids were at the houses of half a dozen journalists, including writer and author Gouhar Geelani, the official said.

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Geelani, Kralyari and the other journalists could not be reached for comment and their phones were switched off.

"The searches were conducted at 10 locations in Srinagar, Anantnag and Kulgam in connection with the investigation of the case related to recent threats to journalists," the official said.

Also raided was the house of a lawyers who has been representing defendants in cases.

Police last week registered a case under an anti-terrorism law after anonymous online threats were posted against a dozen journalists in IIOJK.