Avinash Azad
The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) has carried out coordinated raids at 13 locations across the Kashmir Valley, seizing nearly two dozen digital devices, including smartphones, laptops, iPads, and other electronic gadgets.
According to highly placed official sources, the searches were conducted in connection with the ongoing investigation into the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which left nine people dead and several others injured. The operation, executed in coordination with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is part of intensified efforts by security agencies to trace networks suspected of links to the attack.
“So far, around 20 digital devices, including smartphones, laptops, iPads, and other tablets, have been seized during the searches. Raids are ongoing, and more recoveries are likely. The action is aimed at identifying the communication trails and financial transactions connected to the incident,” an official source confirmed to The Hidden News.
Multiple teams of CIK and CID personnel, backed by local police and paramilitary forces, were deployed simultaneously across Srinagar, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts. The searches, officials said, were carried out under heightened security to prevent any untoward incident. Authorities indicated that the crackdown would continue in the coming days as part of a broader drive to dismantle sleeper cells and overground worker (OGW) networks operating in the region.
Attachment of Former Bar Association President’s Property
In a separate development on yesterday (13/11/2025), Jammu and Kashmir Police attached the residential property and adjoining land of Mian Abdul Qayoom, former President of the J&K Bar Association, under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). According to an official order issued by the Police Headquarters, the attachment pertains to FIR No. 157/2009 registered at Police Station Shaheed Gunj under sections 120, 120-B, 121, and 153-A of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), along with Sections 13, 38, and 39 of the UAPA.
The case relates to a seminar held on December 31, 2009, at Hotel Jahangir in Srinagar, marking the death anniversary of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The event, reportedly organized by separatist leaders including Feroz Ahmad Khan of the Muslim League, featured speeches by Aasia Andrabi, Shabir Ahmad Najar, and Mian Abdul Qayoom, which, according to police, contained anti-India content advocating secession and the imposition of Islamic law.
Subsequent searches at Qayoom’s Barzulla residence led to the recovery of banned literature, a blank letterhead of the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, seal impressions in English and Urdu, and a letter allegedly addressed by Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin to then U.S. President Bill Clinton. Investigators concluded that Qayoom’s two-storey residence and adjoining land—spread over 2 kanals, 1 marla, and 90 square feet—were used to conceal incriminating material and facilitate terror-linked activities. The property, registered under mutation No. 338, was declared “proceeds of terrorism” under Section 2(g) of the UAPA. Acting under Section 25 of the Act, the Director General of Police (DGP) J&K approved the attachment of the property located at Bulbul Bagh, Barzulla, Srinagar.
Widening Crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami and OGW Networks
Meanwhile, in a continuing crackdown on the banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), police conducted raids at over thousands of locations across the Valley, targeting the homes and offices of JeI members and their known associates. The searches are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem and sever local support channels.
Following the November 10 blast, security agencies have intensified cordon-and-search operations (CASOs) in several districts, focusing on suspected OGWs, J&K-based networks of proscribed organizations, and locations linked to past encounters. Scores of individuals with known affiliations to banned groups have been interrogated, with many detained under preventive detention laws.
Public Condemnation and Candle Marches
Amid the heightened security situation, residents across the Valley have taken to the streets in peaceful demonstrations condemning the Red Fort attack. Candlelight marches were held in Sopore, Pulwama, and Anantnag, where students, traders, and civil society members marched in silence to honour the victims. Participants carried placards reading “Hindustan Zindabad” and “Down with Terrorism,” calling for unity and an end to violence. As investigations continue, sources within the security establishment said that more arrests and recoveries could follow in the coming days, as agencies zero in on digital and financial links emerging from the seized electronic devices.
“The Valley is under close surveillance. Each lead is being thoroughly verified to ensure those behind the blast and their sympathisers face the full force of law,” a senior officer said.
