Srinagar: Kashmir Police has arrested a social media user for allegedly posting “extremist content” online, an official said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Showkat Ahmad Dar (28), is a resident of Doodh Mohalla in Srinagar, said the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing, which made the arrest.
Its spokesperson said that Dar had been operating a Facebook account, ‘Shaddy Kashmir Dryfruits,’ to post and share glorifying content about terrorism and militant commanders and “inciting” anti-national sentiments with the intention of disturbing peace.
He was caught after the special monitoring units of social media companies flagged his content.
“Upon receiving input about the online activity, a swift investigation was launched, and the social media handle was resolved, leading to the identification of the suspect,” he said.
Efforts to track Dar were initially hindered due to his constant movement and change of location, the official added.
“A preliminary inspection of the digital devices gave access to his Facebook account and some incriminating materials, including a video of slain terrorist commander Zakir Musa and other extremist propaganda,” the spokesperson said.
Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama in May 2019.
Dar has a history of radical activities.
“He was previously arrested in 2019 for being involved in stone-pelting incidents. In 2022, he was detained by the cyber police station in Srinagar for engaging in the online dissemination of radical content,” he added.
Mentioning the role of online content monitoring units, the CIK said that at the request of intelligence agencies in J&K, all the social media platforms have established special teams to monitor the radical propaganda, especially in the state.
The moment any such radical activity is witnessed by their monitoring unit, it is reported to the security agencies immediately, the CIK said.
Such joint actions by security and intelligence agencies and social media companies have been responsible for busting many radical modules and identifying potential terrorists, the spokesperson said.
Dar’s role and other associates are under probe, and further legal action will follow accordingly, he added.
