CIK, SIA raid Central Jail Srinagar

Srinagar, Dec 4: The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) along with the officials of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Wednesday conducted searches at several blocks of Central Jail, Srinagar, in connection with a terror-related case.

The searches were conducted after a search warrant was obtained by the CIK from a Special Judge of the NIA court with regard to a case registered under FIR No 06/2023 under Sections 153-A, 505,121 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with 13 and 39 of the UA(P) Act.

“The case pertains to a larger conspiracy hatched by proscribed terrorist organisations operating within J&K and across the LoC at the behest of Pakistani agencies, in connivance with their Over Ground Workers or supporters and facilitators in Kashmir,” the official spokesman said.

He said these terror organisations were continuously in the process of creating “new terror modules” (gangs) by misusing various social media applications and luring the youth of Kashmir in different ways and means.

“They resort to radicalisation and instigation or provocation of youth with intention to make them indulge in unlawful and terrorist activities. The youth are also convinced to join terrorist ranks for furthering the activities of these terrorist organisations,” he said.

A top official said that searches were held in connection with an under-investigation case with CIK related to terror crime.

“During the investigation, we came to know about some technical signatures coming within the jail premises which indicated that some technical device was being used within the jail premises,” the official said.

He said that following this indication, they took a warrant from the competent NIA court to search the jail premises.

“As the jail is a housed property, we took a proper search warrant from the NIA to search the Central Jail Srinagar,” the official said.

He said that five to six devices were seized during the search which included some smartphones and tablets.

“The searches continued for several hours from morning to late afternoons,” the official said.

He said that jammers were always put in place within the jail premises and they were ascertaining all the angles on how the digital devices were being used.

“This is a question of investigation. How these devices are used if the jammers are installed in the jail? We suspect that the people from whose possession some digital devices have been recovered are coordinating terror-related activities and we are investigating it,” the official said.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman said that the suspects were in continuous touch with the members of terrorist organisations across the border and were receiving directions and passing those on to terrorists active in Kashmir.

“The searches were conducted in different blocks of Central Jail Srinagar and incriminating material in the form of SIM cards, mobile phones, and other digital devices having bearing on the investigation of the case have been recovered and seized in the case,” he said.

The spokesman said that the investigating agency was also looking into the aspect of the security breach of Central Jail premises ascertaining how these digital communication devices reached inside the jail premises.

“Facilitators and the collaborators in this act will also become the subject of investigation,” he said.

The spokesman said that the operation was aimed to uncover crucial evidence, curb illicit activities, and prevent the misuse of communication devices within the security zones including the jails and dismantling the terror ecosystem in J&K. “The terror associates and OGWs supporting and abetting terrorism will not only be identified but legal action against them will be taken as envisaged by the law.”