A Kerala man has been arrested and charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with an objectionable comment he made on social media in response to a video featuring the daughter of N Ramachandran, a Kerala native who was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam last year, a senior police officer said.
Immigration officials arrested Muhammad Sanoof (26), a native of Aikkarabadi in Malappuram district, upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia, where he was working, at Karipur airport on the evening of July 3. He was handed over to Muttom police in Idukki where an FIR was registered against him last year.
A senior inspector at Muttom police station told HT that an FIR was registered against Sanof in April 2025 on the basis of a complaint filed by Adina Alex, a Yuva Morcha activist. He said the complaint alleged that he made provocative statements on social media under a video of the daughter of a Pahalgam victim inciting religious hatred.
“After investigation, we found that he was working in Saudi Arabia. So we issued a control circular (LoC) against him at all airports in the country. When he returned to India from Saudi Arabia on July 3, since the control line was active, he was flagged down at the airport and detained by immigration officials. He was later handed over to the police,” the inspector said.
The official stated that the police decided to activate the provisions of the UAPA when interrogating him and analyzing his statements on social media.
“UAPA can be invoked if someone’s statements or behavior are considered a threat to the unity and sovereignty of the country and incitement to hatred between followers of two religions. In this case, we have found that it can be applied. Since it is a sensitive issue, there are details that I cannot reveal now,” the officer said.
After his arrest, Snouf appeared before a judge and was detained in judicial custody. The police intend to file a petition requesting his detention for further questioning. With the anti-terrorism law in effect, the case is likely to be transferred from the local police to the Crime Branch or Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Kerala Police.
