Kozhikode, July 7: A 26-year-old man from Kerala’s Malappuram district has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly posting social media comments justifying the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, police officials said.
The accused, identified as Muhammad Sanoof, a resident of Aikkarappadi, was arrested on Sunday after arriving at Karipur International Airport from Saudi Arabia. Police said he had been detained on the basis of a lookout circular issued against him.
Officials of Muttam Police Station said UAPA provisions were invoked after investigators questioned the accused and examined his mobile phone.
According to police, the case relates to comments allegedly posted by Sanoof under a social media post by the daughter of N. Ramachandran, one of the victims of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. Investigators alleged that the comments sought to justify the attack, in which 25 tourists and one local resident were killed.
The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Besides the UAPA, the accused has also been booked on charges of promoting enmity between different religious groups.
Police said the accused has been remanded to judicial custody and that his custodial interrogation would be sought. They added that the investigation could later be transferred to the Crime Branch or the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
Reacting to the arrest, Rajeev Chandrasekhar described the incident as a “wake-up call” and questioned how a young man could allegedly become radicalised to celebrate the killing of a fellow Keralite in the Pahalgam terror attack. He also alleged that the incident reflected the consequences of years of appeasement and radicalisation, while calling for a shift towards what he termed the “politics of performance.” (Agencies)
