Police Probe Handoo Over Alleged Tampering of Threats Against Kashmiri Pandit
J&K Police allege the activist altered and repeatedly circulated threat material targeting a PMRP employee; forensic examination of seized devices is underway.
The investigation into Kashmiri Pandit activist Rakesh Handoo has taken a significant turn as Jammu and Kashmir Police examine allegations that he not only circulated terror-related threat material online but also deliberately altered it to target a fellow Kashmiri Pandit employee working in the Valley under the Prime Minister's Rehabilitation and Employment Package (PMRP).
According to investigators, the central issue in the case is no longer limited to the amplification of threatening communications that surfaced online during August and September. Police sources allege that Handoo modified the contents of certain threat posters and letters, changing identifying details and repeatedly sharing the altered versions through social media platforms. Authorities claim that the edited material specifically presented PMRP employee Rohit Raina, posted in the Finance Department in Baramulla, as the intended target of militant threats, raising serious concerns about his personal safety and security.
The controversy emerged after a series of threatening posters and letters, purportedly issued by a little-known outfit calling itself the United Liberation Council (ULC), began circulating on social media. The material named Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley under the Prime Minister's package and disclosed sensitive personal information, including phone numbers and residential addresses in Jammu. The circulation of these threats triggered widespread anxiety among employees and prompted authorities to enhance security arrangements. Several employees were allowed to work remotely or proceed on leave as a precautionary measure.
Police registered FIR No. 151/2026 at Baramulla Police Station in September following a complaint by Rohit Raina, who alleged that manipulated threat material portraying him as a target had been repeatedly circulated online. Investigators contend that while the original documents referred to another individual with a similar name, Handoo allegedly altered or superimposed details to identify Raina as the intended victim. The investigation is focusing on whether those modifications were deliberate and whether they were designed to create fear or endanger the complainant.
Authorities further allege that Handoo, popularly known as "Bunty", used his public account on X to repeatedly share, modify and amplify the threatening content. Reports suggest that approximately eight such posts are under scrutiny. Handoo, a Faridabad-based Kashmiri Pandit activist and former electoral candidate who contested the 2008 Assembly election from Hazratbal against former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, has long been active on issues concerning displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
Investigators maintain that cyber units had already initiated action against the original terror-linked accounts associated with the threatening content. They allege that Handoo subsequently reposted and further edited the material, transforming it from an already sensitive security issue into a potentially more serious case involving fabricated or manipulated digital communications.
Police officials also state that Handoo failed to appear for questioning despite receiving notices, leading authorities to seek legal action against him. A team from Baramulla Police arrested him at his residence in Greater Faridabad on October 17 and brought him to Kashmir on transit remand. During the operation, investigators seized two mobile phones and secured access to digital records, including social media account details and other documentary evidence. A court later remanded him to five days of police custody, while forensic and technical examinations of the seized material continue.
The case has generated debate within sections of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Handoo had earlier publicised the threats and approached institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), calling for an inquiry into the disclosure of employees' personal data. He has maintained that threats against members of the community should be treated seriously. His lawyer and some supporters have suggested that the complaint may have arisen from personal rivalry or animosity and have questioned the allegations against him.
Police, however, insist that the investigation is centred on the alleged editing and repeated circulation of the material rather than on the existence of the original threats themselves. While some community groups and social media users have argued that the threats were genuinely issued by an obscure militant outfit, which the police had at the time suspected to be a proxy of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and were merely amplified by Handoo, investigators say the FIR specifically alleges that he repeatedly circulated modified versions of the material in a manner that targeted a fellow Kashmiri Pandit employee working under the Prime Minister's special employment package.
Handoo has been booked under Section 66F of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with cyberterrorism, and Section 84C of the IT Act, relating to attempts to commit offences under the Act. Section 66F is a non-bailable offence and carries the possibility of a life sentence upon conviction. He is also reported to have been booked under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The investigation remains ongoing. Police say forensic analysis and technical scrutiny of the seized devices and digital evidence are yet to be completed. No court has determined Handoo's guilt, and the allegations against him remain subject to investigation and judicial review.
