J-K: Police arrest two more in probe into prison-linked separatist module; total eight arrested

Bandipora Police on Friday arrested two more people in connection with an alleged prison-linked separatist module accused of radicalising women and spreading separatist propaganda, taking the total number of arrests in the case to eight.

Officials said the investigation was continuing to establish the network's reach, funding channels and possible links, adding that further arrests could follow.

The latest arrests were made in connection with FIR No. 168/2026, registered at Bandipora Police Station under Sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The accused have been identified as Irshad Ahmed Bhat, son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Chakloo in Baramulla district, and Showkat Ahmed Reshi, son of Ghulam Mohammad Reshi, a resident of Watlab in Sopore. Both have been taken into custody for questioning and further investigation into their alleged roles, officials said.

Police described the module as linked to a banned organisation that allegedly sought to promote separatist ideology, particularly by targeting women for propaganda and mobilisation.

The arrests follow the alleged dismantling of the module by Bandipora Police in late October, when six people, including four women, were arrested in connection with the same case.

On October 24, police arrested Waheed Ahmad Bhat of Handwara, Irfan Ahmed Reshi alias Rayees of Ananwan, Handwara, and four women identified as Mubeena Banoo of Dachigam, Bandipora; Kushboo Jan; Mehak Jan; and Aliya Jan, who were associated with Check Panzgam or nearby areas in Bandipora.

According to police accounts, the investigation centred on Waheed Ahmad Bhat, who had earlier been arrested in a UAPA case in Kupwara following a conference in 2022. During his incarceration at Kupwara Jail, he allegedly re-established contact with a Pakistan-based handler identified as Manzoor Ahmad Shah.

With the assistance of another inmate, an alleged network was subsequently formed to spread separatist ideology, organise meetings and expand support, including by involving women in outreach and propaganda activities, police said.

Bhat was released on medical grounds around August 2024. After his release, the network allegedly became more active. Police claimed that the group organised around 14 to 15 clandestine meetings in Bandipora and adjoining areas, including five to six meetings at a small hotel on the Bandipora-Baramulla route.

The module has been linked to the banned organisation Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen, which, according to the information provided, was active in the early 1990s.

Investigators also examined suspected financial transactions linked to the network. Police said around Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh is believed to have been channelled to the module over more than a year. Of this, approximately Rs 2.26 lakh was allegedly deposited into Mubeena Banoo's J&K Bank account, while the remaining amount was reportedly delivered through cash couriers.

Some of the funds were allegedly distributed among associates, while a portion was used for Bhat's medical treatment, police said.

A religious cleric and two alleged couriers from Kupwara were also under the scanner, with investigators examining their possible roles and the financial trail at the time of the initial arrests.

With the two latest arrests, the number of people held in the case has risen to eight. Police said the investigation was continuing to establish the roles of the accused, identify other possible associates and trace the network's activities and funding channels. Further arrests are likely, officials said.

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