NIA raids in Kashmir over ‘conspiracy to spread IS propaganda’

Six, including 2 shopkeepers, a garment seller, a medical outlet owner and a lab technician, reportedly held.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted multiple raids in Kashmir’s Anantnag and Srinagar districts on Sunday in connection with the alleged conspiracy to spread the Islamic State (IS) propaganda through its online magazine ‘The Voice of Hind’, the agency said.

There were also reports of the agency raiding a religious seminary in Srinagar’s Old City, following which its head was detained. (Representative image)

“In order to execute its nefarious plan, an organised campaign has been launched over the cyber space which is supplemented by on ground terror financing activities... In this connection, an India-Centric online propaganda magazine ‘the Voice of Hind’ ( VOH) is published on monthly basis with an aim to incite and radicalize impressionable youth by projecting a skewed narrative of imagined injustices in India to arouse a feeling of alienation and communal hatred,” the NIA said in its statement.

“Searches in the case today (on Sunday) led to the recovery and seizure of a large number of incriminating documents and digital devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptop and hard disks...,” it added.

According to people aware of the development, at least six people, including two grocery shopkeepers, a garment seller, a medical outlet owner and a lab technician, were detained for questioning by the agency.

Deputy inspector general of police (south Kashmir), Abdul Jabbar, however, refused to comment on the matter, saying that “the NIA should be contacted for confirmation”.

There were also reports of the agency raiding a religious seminary in Srinagar’s Old City, following which its head was detained. “People were shocked to learn that the seminary had been raided and its head taken away. His family went to the police, who said that he was taken away by the NIA. He was a very moderate voice and used to be busy with his religious teachings,” said a neighbour of the seminary head.

Superintendent of police (north Srinagar), Mubasher Hussain, however, said: “I have no information about any raids.”