Jammu, July 12 (NVI): The Counter Intelligence (CI) unit of Jammu has arrested three publishers in connection with the ongoing investigation into the publication and distribution of books containing allegedly “inappropriate content” in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.
Officials that the arrests were made during coordinated operations carried out in Jammu and Delhi as part of the probe into two controversial books that were found in government school libraries.
The arrested publishers have been identified as Inderpaul of Jammu-based Oberoi Book Service and Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora of Noida-based Dominant Publishers.
Officials said the CI unit had registered an FIR on July 4 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, publishing false statements, and endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, besides Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The books under investigation are Personalities and Legends of J-K, authored by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Oberoi Book Service, and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir, authored by Sushant Giri.
According to officials, both Oberoi Book Service and Dominant Publishers had already been blacklisted by the government, while raids were conducted at their premises on July 6 as part of the investigation.
Officials further said that 123 copies of one book were distributed to schools in Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the other book were supplied to schools in Jammu and Baramulla districts.
“The investigation is underway and further arrests are likely,” officials said.
The arrests come a day after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha suspended eight officials of the School Education Department, terminated the services of a contractual employee and ordered an inquiry into the inclusion of the two books in government school libraries.
The School Education Department had withdrawn both books from schools on July 3 following objections from various political parties, which alleged that the books glorified separatist leaders.—(NVI)
