J&K Counter Intelligence wing detains doctor, wife for furthering ‘separatist agenda’

Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on Tuesday detained a doctor and his wife during coordinated searches targeting alleged “social media abusers deliberately engaged in furthering terrorist, secessionist and separatist agendas.”

In a statement, the CIK said raids were carried out at four locations across Srinagar, Kulgam, and Anantnag as part of an ongoing crackdown on individuals purportedly operating in collusion with handlers across the border to spread disinformation and disturb public order.

According to the agency, the individuals had been “leveraging their professional status and societal standing” to use social media platforms for radicalising youth, inciting violence, and promoting narratives that threaten the country's peace and sovereignty.

During the operation, CIK teams detained Dr Umer Farooq Bhat, currently posted in the Super Specialty Department of SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, and his wife Shahzada Akhtar. Multiple digital devices and what officials described as “incriminating material” were seized.

The CIK alleged that Dr Bhat, a government employee, had been indulging in “online unlawful activities”, misusing his official position and social legitimacy to pursue actions detrimental to national security. The agency claimed the couple had been “misusing their positions and social standing to mask unlawful activities.”

Shahzada Akhtar is accused of “radicalising local women through curated online and offline engagements” and promoting divisive narratives under the guise of community interaction. Her suspected links to the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Milat are under investigation.

The seized devices have been sent for forensic examination, which the CIK said is likely to reveal a broader digital network connected to organised propaganda operations.