Security agencies in Arunachal Pradesh have arrested two men from Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly gathering sensitive information related to troop movements and maintaining secret contacts with handlers based in Pakistan, a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.
The arrests have raised concerns among investigators about the possible existence of a broader network attempting to activate anti-national elements in the Northeast.
As per the FIR registered at Chimpu police station, the first accused, Nazir Ahmad Malik of Kupwara district, was taken into custody on November 22 from a rented accommodation in Ganga village following what police described as “credible and actionable” intelligence inputs.
During questioning, Malik allegedly confessed to passing on details related to the deployment of Indian Army and paramilitary personnel, sharing information about military installations, and communicating with Pakistan-based handlers through encrypted Telegram channels. Investigators also claim he revealed receiving directions to carry out acts of arson and place explosives near security establishments.
Police seized two mobile phones from Malik, which reportedly contained digital evidence linking him to a Telegram channel named “Al AQSA,” suspected to be used for transmitting sensitive security-related information.
Based on Malik’s disclosures, police subsequently arrested the second accused, Sabir Ahmed Mir, also a resident of Kupwara, from Abotani Colony in the capital region. Mir is alleged to have been in contact with a Pakistan-based handler via Telegram and was instructed to assist in the illegal entry of Pakistani nationals into India and function as an arms courier. Deleted data recovered from his phone has further intensified suspicion regarding his role.
Both accused, who were reportedly running small businesses in Arunachal Pradesh, have been remanded to judicial custody.
Police officials said Malik’s presence in the state indicates a possible larger conspiracy aimed at activating operatives in the region. The case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Official Secrets Act, and the Arunachal Pradesh Act. Investigations are ongoing to trace the wider network, its connections, and the motive behind the alleged operation.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa confirmed the arrests but refrained from sharing further details, citing the sensitive nature of the case. “This is still a developing matter. A lot of work remains, and the police will issue an official statement at an appropriate time. The information currently circulating is not the official version,” he said.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions in the state, where several organizations have stepped up demands for action against alleged illegal Muslim immigrants. Earlier this month, three groups—the Indigenous Youth Force of Arunachal, Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organization, and All Naharlagun Youth Organization—had observed a dawn-to-dusk bandh in the capital region.
Their demands included the removal of what they termed illegally built mosques and makeshift prayer structures, identification and deportation of alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, and a ban on weekly markets in the state capital.
