A National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet has exposed the role of a Pakistan-based Telegram channel in the recruitment and instigation of attacks against non-locals in Kashmir.
The chargesheet, filed before a special court in Jammu, names three Kashmiri youths - Adil Manzoor Langoo, Ahran Rasool Dar, and Dawood - under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The trio is accused of being involved in the killing of two non-local workers from Amritsar, Punjab, in separate incidents in Srinagar. The NIA investigation reveals that Langoo was initially contacted by a Pakistani handler, Jahangeer alias Peer Sahab, through a Telegram channel named 'Kashmir Fights.'
Jahangeer, suspected to be associated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, is currently facing a non-bailable warrant. The NIA took over the investigation from the Jammu & Kashmir police in June this year.
"Investigations revealed that Adil Manzoor Langoo, who had joined LeT in 2023, had been motivated by Pakistani handlers to boost the terror outfit's activities in Srinagar. He had also been involved in previous terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley," the NIA said in a statement.
The chargesheet further details how Langoo, Dar, and Dawood operated under the instructions of Jahangeer, who motivated them to create an atmosphere of fear among non-locals. "On the directions of Jehangir, Langoo and Dar received arms and ammunition in Srinagar which were used by Langoo to commit the crime," the agency added.
The NIA's findings underscore the increasing use of social media platforms by terrorist organizations like LeT-TRF to lure and radicalize vulnerable youth. The agency highlighted the group's tactics of exploiting unemployment and other social factors to draw individuals into their network.
