The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), an organisation representing Pandits who continue to live in the Kashmir Valley, on Thursday called for an impartial investigation into the arrest of community activist Rakesh Handoo over allegations that he fabricated militant threats against Kashmiri Pandit employees.
The organisation also criticised what it described as a media trial, saying allegations should not be treated as established facts before the investigation is completed.
Handoo, a Haryana-based Kashmiri Pandit activist, was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police on October 17 from Faridabad in connection with allegedly altered digital posters threatening Pandit employees working in government departments in the Valley.
The case followed a complaint filed by a Kashmiri Pandit employee with Baramulla Police. The posters reportedly carried the names of some employees and the vehicle registration number of at least one of them.
One of the allegations against Handoo is that he inserted the employees’ names into the posters, making it appear that militants had specifically targeted them. The allegations are under investigation.
Handoo has been booked under Section 66F, which deals with cyber terrorism, and Section 84C of the Information Technology Act.
KPSS Calls for Responsible Reporting
In a statement, KPSS president Sanjay Tickoo urged authorities to conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation and called for responsible reporting on the case.
“While every complaint must be taken seriously, it is equally essential that allegations are not presented as established facts before the competent authorities have completed a fair and impartial investigation,” Tickoo said.
The organisation asked investigators to examine the original complaint, digital evidence, the circumstances surrounding the circulation of the posters and any credible evidence of wider threats.
It also called for accountability from the police and administration over security arrangements for the community.
“Any substantiated shortcomings in threat assessment, intelligence coordination or protective arrangements should be examined and rectified,” the statement said.
The KPSS stressed that the safety of Prime Minister’s Package employees and the wider Kashmiri Pandit community must be ensured, while also protecting the legal rights, dignity and reputation of everyone involved in the case.
The organisation said its statement was not intended to defend any individual regardless of the evidence or dismiss the concerns of complainants. It called instead for institutional accountability and an evidence-based investigation.
It also urged community organisations to move beyond internal differences and engage in constructive dialogue with authorities.
Iltija Mufti Questions National Media’s Coverage
PDP leader Iltija Mufti also questioned the national media’s coverage of the case.
She criticised what she described as selective reporting, saying that when threats were issued against Kashmiri Pandits, sections of the national media had directed suspicion towards Kashmiri Muslims.
Her remarks came amid allegations by some Pandit activists that Muslim employees could have been involved in sharing information about the targeted employees with militants. These allegations have not been established.
The KPSS, meanwhile, said the security of the community could not be ensured by assigning blame without evidence.
“The safety and future of the Kashmiri Pandit community cannot be secured by finding a convenient person to blame. They can be secured only by confronting genuine threats, correcting institutional shortcomings and ensuring that truth and accountability prevail over speculation, personal rivalries and the politics of public perception,” its statement said.
