Two booked in Doda for using VPN as Modi regime tightens digital crackdown
#ArbitraryArrestsInIIOJK
Jammu: In yet another manifestation of shrinking civil liberties under the Modi-led Indian government, two civilians have been booked in Doda district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly using Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications to access social media platforms.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian police registered separate cases against the two individuals for what it said violating prohibitory orders issued by the District Magistrate, which imposed a blanket ban on the use of VPN applications in the district. In the first incident, a police team from Police Station Doda, detained a person during routine patrolling at Bagla Main Market. The individual was later identified as Khalid Abrar, son of Mohammad Abdullah Butt, a resident of Bagla Bharth. Police claimed that he was found using a VPN application on his mobile phone and failed to provide a “satisfactory explanation.” Subsequently, a cause under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered against him.
Separately, police booked another civilian, Mohammad Irfan, a resident of Tendla in Tehsil Chilli, after allegedly spotting him using a VPN application near Shali Pul in the Gandoh area. A case was also registered at Police Station Gandoh against Irfan under the same draconian law.
In conclusion, the ongoing wave of arbitrary arrests, raids, and prolonged detentions reflects the Modi regime’s deep frustration over its failure to suppress the Kashmiri people’s legitimate struggle for self-determination. Despite the use of draconian laws, fabricated cases, and systematic intimidation, Indian repression has neither weakened the resolve of Kashmiris nor silenced their demand for freedom. Instead, these coercive measures have further exposed the repressive nature of Indian rule and underscored the urgent need for the international community and global human rights bodies to intervene and hold India accountable for its grave violations of fundamental rights in the occupied territory.
Rights observers say the criminalisation of VPN usage exposes the extent to which the Modi government has gone to curb digital freedoms, particularly in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where access to information and social media has long been subjected to arbitrary restrictions. They maintain that banning VPNs amounts to collective punishment and is aimed at silencing dissent.
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