NIA court issues proclamation against Kashmiris abroad over online orchestration of unrest
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Three Kashmiris have received notices from a special NIA court in Srinagar over their social media posts as the court said that these men have been “weaponising” social media platforms to incite street violence, disrupt normal life, damage public property, disturb public order and fuel mass unrest.”
The proclamation, issued by the court of the Special Judge designated under the National Investigation Agency Act, directs the three men to appear before it by the end of January, marking an escalation in a case that the Jammu and Kashmir Police describe as rooted in a sustained digital campaign aimed at unsettling public order in the Valley.
The accused have been identified as Mubeen Ahmad Shah and Azizul Hassan Ashai, also known as Tony Ashai, both residents of Srinagar who are currently based in the United States, and Rifat Wani, a native of Kupwara who is based in Germany.
According to the Counter-Intelligence Kashmir wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the proclamation has been issued under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a provision invoked when accused persons are believed to be absconding, even as investigators maintain that the three men continue to remain active online despite being outside the country.
The case has been registered under Sections 153-A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, which relate to promoting enmity and making statements conducive to public mischief, along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Investigators contend that the case emerged from what they describe as credible intelligence inputs pointing to a coordinated effort by individuals operating both within and beyond Jammu and Kashmir, an effort allegedly aligned with secessionist interests seeking to exploit the reach and immediacy of digital platforms.
The police allege that Shah, Ashai and Wani projected themselves as journalists, freelancers or operators of news portals, while using popular social media platforms to circulate content that was misleading, exaggerated or stripped of context, thereby blurring the line between information and incitement.
Officials argue that this online activity was not incidental but formed part of a deliberate strategy to provoke street-level disturbances, interrupt everyday life and foster a climate of anxiety and alienation, which, in their assessment, could translate into physical violence and damage to public property.