The State Investigation Agency(SIA) of Kashmir on Tuesday raided six locations in the Valley probing the alleged misuse of social media platforms for “unlawful and secessionist activities”, the agency said.
The SIA conducted the searches in four districts of Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama and Kupwara. A statement by the agency said that they successful conducted searches at six locations as part of an ongoing investigation pertaining to misuse of social media platforms for unlawful and secessionist activities .
It said that the searches conducted by SIA resulted in the seizure of substantial digital and physical evidence like mobile phones, sim cards etc. “The evidence will be meticulously analysed to build a strong case against the accused individuals and organizations, ensuring a comprehensive investigation and subsequent legal proceedings,” the agency said.
The case was registered by SIA Kashmir regarding India-based social media entities “collaborating with their foreign associates to spread hatred against India and promoting terror activities”.
The pre-dawn searches conducted by SIA personnel were aimed to uncover the individuals and groups involved in propagating alleged secessionist, anti-India sentiments through various social media platforms. “The identified entities are suspected of conniving with foreign associates to further their nefarious agenda, which includes instigating and supporting acts of terrorism. Additionally, these entities have been targeting government servants, hindering their ability to perform their lawful duties, “ it said.
The SIA was formed in 2021 for fast track investigations in militancy cases and also to coordinate with other state and central probing agencies. Since the beginning, the agency has filed multiple cases into militant networks, their alleged supporters and over the ground workers, funding, and misuse of SIM cards.
