Kerala Police have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against a 26-year-old native of Aikkarappadi in Malappuram district, who was arrested upon his return from Saudi Arabia over an alleged offensive social media comment justifying the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Muhammed Sanoof, a native of Aikkarappadi in Malappuram district, was detained at Calicut International Airport (Karipur) on July 4 upon his return from Saudi Arabia, based on an active lookout circular. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has since been invoked against him by the police.
The police have registered a case against Sanoof for allegedly posting an offensive comment under a video featuring the daughter of N Ramachandran, a Kochi resident who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
A formal complaint was filed nearly a year ago by Adeena Bharathi, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP. The complaint included screenshots of the offensive remark, on the basis of which police initially registered a case at Muttam Police Station in Idukki district.
The case stems from a Facebook comment that Sanoof allegedly posted under a video interview featuring the daughter of N Ramachandran. Ramachandran, a resident of Kochi, was among those killed in the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The police initially investigated the digital footprint, as the allegedly anti-national comment had been posted from abroad. Following Sanoof’s detention, investigators examined his mobile phone and conducted a preliminary interrogation. They reported finding “crucial evidence” that warranted the invocation of the stringent anti-terror provisions of the UAPA.
Sanoof was produced before a court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. The local police are now seeking his custody for further interrogation.
Due to the seriousness of the national security implications, official sources indicated that the investigation is likely to be transferred to the Crime Branch or the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly described the incident as a “wake-up call” against online radicalisation. He criticised regional political parties, alleging that political appeasement had allowed such extreme sentiments to take root among sections of the youth.