The two books being looked into include Personalities and Legends of J&K by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena published by Oberoi Book Service, Jammu and Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir by Sushant Giri published by Anurag Prakashan of Delhi.

According to the police, the books have been distributed in the schools within various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was stated that 123 copies of one book had been distributed to schools in the districts of Jammu, Ramban, and Udhampur, whereas 128 copies of the other book have been distributed to the schools of Jammu and Baramulla districts.

FIR has been registered against the suspects under several clauses of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, which include the clauses of abetment, criminal conspiracy, activities which affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, creation of enmity between different communities, and publication of defamatory statements. Clause 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is also relevant to this case.

According to police sources, the investigation will concentrate on the content of the books, the manner in which the approval and purchase of the books was done, as well as the involvement of publishers, authors, distributors, and officials who handled the distribution of the books. The Counter Intelligence division has started looking at the paperwork, procurement papers, and other electronic documents to see whether the distribution was an organised affair.

After filing the case, counter intelligence officers made raids on the offices of one of the publishing companies at Bahu Plaza, Jammu. In the course of these raids, some documents and equipment were confiscated which are likely to have relevance in the investigations. More raids and interrogations are likely to take place as the supply and approval chain associated with the books will come under scrutiny.

No arrests were made till the time of reporting. Yet, the authorities had mentioned that there might be some course of action that could be taken once the materials are investigated and the people associated with the books are taken for their statements.

The whole issue had led to certain measures being taken by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Manoj Sinha, had put a suspension on eight officials of the School Education Department.

Both books had already been withdrawn by the School Education Department after objections from political parties and the general public on the grounds that their contents might affect the students’ perception regarding the political history of Jammu & Kashmir.

Now the matter has gone beyond any administrative inquiry because of the registration of an FIR under the UAPA and BNS laws. It is clear that the authorities will proceed with investigating the involvement of all persons and organisations related to these two books.