JAMMU: A court in Jammu remanded Monday three arrested publishers to 10 days’ police custody in a case linked to two books allegedly carrying separatist and anti-national content that were supplied to govt school libraries in J&K.Inderpaul of Jammu-based Oberoi Book Service and Amardeep Singh and Girish Arora of Noida-based Dominant Publishers were taken into custody Sunday. “They were virtually produced before the court, which granted police remand for further investigation,” an official said.According to officials, sub-committees were set up to select books after library grants were received under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. They shortlisted 463 titles, but scrutiny later flagged two books — “Personalities and Legends of J&K” and “Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir”.

By then, 100-plus copies of each book had reached schools.The books were withdrawn and an inquiry was ordered, while eight school education officials were suspended and a contractual staffer was dismissed. Govt blacklisted Oberoi Book Service and Dominant Publishers. Investigators are trying to find out how the books reached libraries despite red flags during content scrutiny.