One arrest over VPN use as IIOJK turns digital tools into ‘crime’
Jammu: In yet another example of the shrinking space for freedom of expression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian police have arrested a civilian in Rajouri district merely for using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) application on his mobile phone.
According to Kashmir Media Service, police from Thanamandi station arrested Mohammad Qasim, a resident of village Khablan in Thanamandi area of Rajouri, after allegedly finding a “banned” VPN application installed on his phone during a routine check.
An FIR has been registered against the detainee under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Qasim has been taken into custody, while his mobile phone was seized as case property.
The arrest has raised serious concerns among rights observers, who say criminalising the use of digital privacy tools reflects the alarming extent of surveillance and censorship in the occupied territory. VPNs are widely used across the world to protect personal data, ensure online privacy and access information, but in IIOJK they are increasingly being treated as instruments of “suspicion”.
Experts say such actions are part of a broader policy aimed at controlling information flow, intimidating civilians and suppressing dissenting voices in both physical and digital spaces. Analysts note that targeting ordinary citizens over mobile applications demonstrates how deeply intrusive the security apparatus has become in the daily lives of people.
Meanwhile, SDPO Thanamandi Parupkar Singh and SHO Inspector Hilal Azhar, while commenting on the incident, issued warnings to the public to strictly follow official directives, threatening strict legal action in case of violations.
