A 26-year-old man from Kerala’s Malappuram district has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly posting social media comments that justified the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, police officials said on Monday, 6 July 2026.
As per an India Today report, the accused, identified as Muhammad Sanoof, a native of Aikkarappadi in Malappuram, was arrested on Sunday after arriving at Karipur Airport in Kozhikode from Saudi Arabia. Police said he had been detained based on a lookout circular issued against him in connection with the case.
According to investigators, Sanoof came under scrutiny after allegedly posting comments beneath a social media post shared by the daughter of N. Ramachandran, one of the victims of the 22 April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The comments allegedly justified the terrorist attack, prompting legal action against him.
The Pahalgam terror attack claimed the lives of 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local resident, making it one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians in recent years.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered following a complaint filed by a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). During the investigation, officers from Muttam Police Station questioned Sanoof and examined his mobile phone, after which provisions of the UAPA were invoked.
In addition to offences under the UAPA, Sanoof has also been booked on charges of promoting enmity between different religious groups.
Following his arrest, he was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody. Police said they would seek his custodial interrogation as the investigation progresses.
Officials further stated that, depending on the findings of the ongoing probe, the case could subsequently be transferred to either the Crime Branch or the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for further investigation.
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