Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out raids on 10 locations in the valley including offices of NGOs, residences of human rights defenders and journalists, and the premises of daily newspaper Greater Kashmir in Srinagar.
Among the places where raids were conducted were the office and residence of human rights activist Khurram Parvez, coordinator of J&K Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), senior journalist Parvaiz Ahmad Bukhari, office of APDP chairperson Parveena Ahanger, JKCSS members Parvez Ahmad Matta and Bengaluru-based associate Swati Sheshadri, and the office of NGO Athrout.
The NIA in a statement said that several “incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized.”
“NIA conducted searches at 10 locations in Srinagar and Bandipora and one location in Bangalore in connection with a case pertaining to certain so-called NGOs and Trusts raising funds in India and abroad in the name of charitable activities and then using those funds for carrying out secessionist and separatist activities in J&K,” it said.
An office bearer of Greater Kashmir told Kashmir Reader that the team arrived at 6 am and left a few hours later. He refused to comment further.
An official from Athrout said the NIA sleuths carried out a thorough check of documents before they left at 4 pm. “We were asked to continue our work as usual,” he said, but did not elaborate.
The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) office at Bund was being raided till 5 pm.
Khurram, Parvaiz, and Parveena could not be reached for comments as their phones were switched off.
The case under which raids were carried out was registered on October 8 under various sections of the IPC and UAPA. The NIA said the raids were conducted on receiving credible information that certain NGOs and Trusts were collecting funds domestically and abroad through so-called donations and business contributions and then using them to fund militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the NIA team was assisted by local police and paramilitary forces when it searched the office of the trust located in the premises of a prominent English daily in Srinagar. At least three other NGOs founded in 2000 were raided by the NIA for alleged funding in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called the raids a crackdown on dissent.
“NIA raids on human rights activist Khurram Parvez & Greater Kashmir office in Srinagar is yet another example of GOIs vicious crackdown on freedom of expression & dissent. Sadly, NIA has become BJPs pet agency to intimidate & browbeat those who refuse to fall in line,” she tweeted.
Mufti also said that the government of India wants the media to write op-eds about diabetes and yoga instead of what she termed the “plunder of J&K’s land & resources”.
Senior journalist and editor of Kashmir Times Anuradha Bhasin also called raids an attempt to silence even whispers.
“NIA raids on GK office and HR defender Khurram Parvez’s house are attempts to impose silence even on our whispers (and they’re scared of even that). This comes a day after the disempowering land laws. Can this be just a coincidence?” she said.