Srinagar: Police on Thursday released a statement on the raids it conducted at the homes of four journalists in Srinagar a day before.

The statement said, “During the course of investigation of case FIR No. 82/2020 of Police Station Kothibagh, credible evidence was found which links the following persons with the mastermind who is behind the blog [email protected]: Mir Hilal, son of Ghulam Ahmed Mir, resident of Bemina (Journalist- TRTworld), Md Shah Abbas, son of Abdul Khaliq Shah, resident of Yaripora, Anantnag, A/P Rajbagh (Freelance journalist), Azhar Qadri, son of Farooq Ahmed, resident of Bemina (Journalist-The Tribune) and Showkat Motta, son of Abdul Samad Motta, resident of Lalbazar (Was editor-in-chief of The Narrator & currently working at a wholesale shop).”

“On the basis of the evidences collected, searches were conducted on 08/09/2021 at four different places after obtaining proper search warrants from the competent court of law. During the searches so conducted, some mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets were seized.

“For the purpose of investigation, all the above four persons were called for questioning and were allowed to go in the evening and have been directed to present themselves tomorrow again,” the police statement said.

It added, “The investigation is in progress and the scrutiny of electronic gadgets is also going on. So far, various numbers of Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi have been found. Besides, they are also found to have been in contact of various virtual numbers.”

It said that IGP Kashmir has denied it to be an issue of harassing journalists as the due process of law is being followed while investigating a sensitive case. “The involved persons would be arrested in this case as and when the evidences are collected,” the statement said.

KR Desk