JAMMU: A court in Jammu has ordered a ten-day police custody for three publishers who were arrested in connection with two books reportedly containing separatist and anti-national themes. These books were allegedly supplied to government school libraries in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Inderpaul, associated with Jammu’s Oberoi Book Service, and Amardeep Singh along with Girish Arora from Noida’s Dominant Publishers were apprehended on Sunday. According to an official, they were presented in court, which approved police remand to facilitate further investigation.
Background of the Case
Officials stated that sub-committees were established for the selection of books following the allocation of library grants under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan initiative. A total of 463 book titles were shortlisted during this process, but two specific titles — “Personalities and Legends of J&K” and “Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir” — raised concerns during a subsequent examination.
By that point, over 100 copies of each book had already been distributed to schools.
Actions Taken
In light of the situation, the books were withdrawn, and an inquiry was initiated. Subsequently, eight education officials were suspended, and one contractual staff member was dismissed from service. Furthermore, the government has blacklisted both Oberoi Book Service and Dominant Publishers.
Investigators are currently delving into the circumstances surrounding how these contentious books were allowed into school libraries despite previous warnings raised during their content review process.
