JAMMU: Jammu counter-intelligence officers detained three publishers as part of an inquiry into books found in J&K libraries, officials said. The operation involved coordinated searches in Jammu and Delhi.
The detentions relate to the printing and circulation of material described as containing unsuitable content. Authorities are examining how the publishers handled production and supply of the titles.
Those held are Inderpaul of Oberoi Book Service and Amardeep Singh along with Girish Arora of Dominant Publishers, a Noida firm. Both companies had earlier been barred by authorities. Raids on their premises took place on July 6.
No staff from Samagra Siksha, the agency that chose the books, have been detained. Eight officials, some from Samagra Siksha and others from the School Education Department, were suspended. The individual who selected the titles and placed orders, former principal Fazil Imran Siddiqui, now works with Samagra Siksha.
On July 4, investigators filed an FIR citing sections 49, 61(2), 152, 196 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita plus section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The case followed reports that two books in government libraries praised separatist leaders.
The titles referred to late Hurriyat Conference hardliner SAS Geelani and detained figures Shabir Shah, Massarat Alam and Yasin Malik. Although Samagra Siksha maintains a formal review process for purchased books, publishers reportedly compete by offering payments to selection officials.
Some suppliers inflate cover prices and provide cash incentives to bypass checks, allowing titles to reach schools with limited review. Most copies stay unused in locked library cupboards, according to one publisher who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The books under scrutiny are Personalities and Legends of J-K by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena, issued by Oberoi Book Service, and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir by Sushant Giri, issued by Anurag Prakashan. Details on co-author Hilal Ahmad remain unclear.
Further detentions are expected as inquiries continue. Officials reported that 123 copies of one title reached Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur districts, while 128 copies of the second went to Jammu and Baramulla.
The matter has prompted senior officials in both regions to search other volumes for similar content. All books from the named publishers are being checked at school level, with staff reviewing library holdings. Universities are also examining their collections for matching material. The probe began after directives from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
