SRINAGAR: In a decisive escalation against digital terrorism and anti-national propaganda, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir on Tuesday submitted a detailed chargesheet to the competent court, naming two key accused for their alleged roles in disseminating secessionist and pro-terrorist content linked to the Pakistan-backed, proscribed outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). This action underscores J&K Police’s intensified vigil on online radicalization networks amid ongoing security challenges in the region.
The accused are Altaf Hussain Wagay, a resident of Reban Gund Behram in Shopian district, and Shabir Ahmad Sheikh from Rampora, Qaimoh in Kulgam district—who is currently operating from across the border, believed to be in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or mainland Pakistan. The case, registered as FIR No. 01/2025 at Police Station CIK/SIA Kashmir, invokes stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), reflecting the gravity of the offenses.
According to the SIA statement, the chargesheet follows credible intelligence inputs exposing a coordinated conspiracy by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and their HM proxies/sympathizers. These elements allegedly orchestrated a multi-pronged campaign using social media platforms to flood Jammu and Kashmir with anti-India propaganda, secessionist narratives, and glorification of terrorism. The nefarious intent: radicalize vulnerable youth, erode public order, foment disaffection against the state, and ultimately challenge India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Investigators unearthed a web of covert online handles operated under pseudonyms by the duo to dodge detection by law enforcement’s cyber monitoring tools. Their activities included posting incendiary videos, memes, and manifestos that not only promoted HM’s violent ideology but also sought to recruit impressionable individuals into terrorist ranks. “The active role in spreading secessionist ideology, promoting terrorism, and attempting to undermine the lawful administrative framework has been firmly established through digital forensics and other evidence,” the SIA detailed.
This case highlights the evolving threat landscape in J&K, where hybrid warfare tactics blend physical militancy with cyber operations. Post-Article 370 abrogation, such online campaigns have surged as terror groups grapple with reduced on-ground footprints, increasingly relying on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Telegram channels, and WhatsApp groups to sustain morale among overground workers (OGWs) and lure new recruits.
SIA Kashmir affirmed that further investigations into associated conspirators, additional suspects, and the broader network remain underway under relevant legal provisions. Technical surveillance, IP tracing, and international cooperation via mutual legal assistance treaties are likely intensifying to dismantle these transnational modules.
The agency reiterated its “unwavering commitment” to identifying, prosecuting, and neutralizing threats to national security, especially those exploiting digital spaces for radicalization. This chargesheet serves as a strong deterrent, signaling zero tolerance for virtual terror facilitation, and aligns with Union Home Ministry’s directives to fortify J&K’s cyber defenses.
Security experts view this as part of a larger pattern, with over a dozen similar UAPA cases filed in 2025 alone against social media agitators. Successful convictions could yield lengthy imprisonments, further crippling HM’s propaganda arm.
