SRINAGAR: A Kashmiri Pandit activist, Rakesh Handoo alias Bunty, has been arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police over allegations of circulating threat posters against migrant Kashmiri Pandit PM package employees and migrant workers in the Valley.
A senior BJP leader termed it a “huge development,” while Pandit groups have demanded a fair and impartial investigation.
Handoo was arrested by a J&K Police team from Faridabad, Haryana, on October 17 in connection with FIR No. 151/2026 lodged at Police Station Baramulla in north Kashmir under Section 66F (cyberterrorism) and Section 84C of the Information Technology Act.
Police had taken up the investigation against him following a complaint lodged against him by PM package employee Rohit Raina, who is posted in north Kashmir’s Baramulla.
After his detention, Handoo’s wife was informed by J&K Police about his arrest.
In August, a little-known militant outfit, ULC, issued threat posters on social media targeting migrant KP PM package employees and migrant workers.
The threat posters caused fear among the Pandit employees working in the Valley, and many of them were offered the work-from-home option by the government for some time to instil a sense of confidence among them.
Sources said J&K Police had earlier summoned Handoo for questioning in September, but he failed to appear before the police.
Handoo had unsuccessfully contested the 2008 Assembly elections against National Conference President Farooq Abdullah from the Hazratbal constituency in Srinagar.
BJP leader Sheikh Khalid Jehangir termed Handoo’s detention a huge development.
“Huge development! Anyone promoting, glorifying or facilitating terrorism must face strict legal action,” Jehangir said in a post on X.
“Zero tolerance, decisive action and no impunity,” he added.
PDP spokesperson Zuhaib Yousuf Mir said in a post on X, “Kashmiri Pandits are a part of Kashmir's syncretic culture”.
“However, this Kashmiri Pandit activist, who has been arrested for his alleged involvement in recent terrorist threats against Kashmiri Pandit employees in Jammu and Kashmir, which caused so much trouble to the people here, is a Terrorist (sic),” he said.
However, Kashmiri Pandit groups and individuals have expressed concern and demanded a fair and transparent investigation.
Kashmiri Pandit leader Sanjay Saraf said Handoo is a political activist who has stood up for the rights and dignity of Kashmiri Pandits for decades, and his supporters remember his contribution during the difficult years of the 1990s, when he stood alongside the Army, as well as his continued efforts for the Kashmiri Pandit community.
“His arrest from his residence in Faridabad and subsequent detention at Baramulla Jail have caused deep concern among those who know him and his work,” he said, adding, “No one should be denied fairness, dignity, or justice. A person's past contributions and commitment to the community deserve consideration, while the law must be allowed to take its course.”
“We sincerely hope that the truth will prevail, that justice will be served, and that Handoo will be released soon if the law and the facts warrant it,” Saraf said.
“The Kashmiri Pandit community believes in justice, dignity, and the rule of law. We appeal for a fair, transparent, and humane approach in this matter,” he added.
Another Kashmiri Pandit, Sanjay Sapru, said that for 30 years, Handoo had stood up for Kashmiri Pandits. “In the 1990s, he stood with the Army when no one else did.”
“We believe in the rule of law. Let the court decide. But give him a fair hearing, not a media trial,” he said.
Another Pandit, Vicky Pandita, said it was deeply painful to see KP activist Rakesh Handoo arrested under the UAPA in Faridabad over alleged threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees.
“When one Kashmiri Pandit raises allegations against another, it is a matter of serious concern for our already suffering community,” he said.
Pandita said the allegations must be examined fairly and impartially, and the truth must come out through due legal process.
“No one should be declared guilty before the law takes its course,” he said, adding, “Kashmiri Pandits have already lost so much. We cannot afford to lose our unity as well”.