Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) has called for a fair and impartial investigation into the arrest of Kashmiri Pandit activist Rakesh Handoo in connection with alleged online threats targeting PM Package employees in Kashmir. The organisation has urged all stakeholders to await the outcome of the probe before drawing conclusions.
Handoo was arrested from Faridabad in Haryana on October 17, following a complaint lodged by Rohit Raina, a PM Package employee posted in Baramulla. Police allege that Handoo repeatedly circulated altered threat-related material on X, allegedly projecting Raina as the intended target. A case has been registered under Sections 66F and 84C of the Information Technology Act, the former of which deals with cyber terrorism. Forensic and technical reports are awaited and the investigation is ongoing. Handoo has not been convicted of any offence.
In a statement issued in Srinagar, KPSS president Sanjay K. Tickoo cautioned against treating allegations as established facts before a fair investigation is complete. The organisation stressed that the controversy must not divert attention from the wider security concerns of the Kashmiri Pandit community, which has long sought assurances of safety for employees working in the Valley under the Prime Minister’s Package.
KPSS urged the police and the administration to examine the original complaint, the digital evidence and any credible threats, while also investigating possible security lapses. It further called for responsible media reporting, effective protection for PM Package employees, and respect for the legal rights and dignity of everyone involved in the matter.
The organisation clarified that its demand for a fair probe is neither meant to defend any individual irrespective of the evidence nor to dismiss the complainant’s concerns. It maintained that genuine threats must be addressed through evidence-based investigations and institutional accountability, and that the process should command the confidence of all sections of society.
The case touches a sensitive chord. PM Package employees, who were recruited to work in Kashmir as part of a rehabilitation initiative for the Pandit community, have in the past raised concerns about their security and working conditions. Any threat, real or perceived, directed at them naturally draws serious attention from the community and the authorities alike. At the same time, offences involving digital material, particularly where content is alleged to have been altered, depend heavily on technical verification, including the authenticity of posts, the accounts that shared them and the chain of circulation.
This is why the forensic and technical reports now awaited carry such weight. Their findings will determine whether the allegations stand on firm ground, and whether any wider threat exists that requires action. Until then, the legal principle that an accused remains innocent unless proven guilty applies, and so does the complainant’s right to protection and a thorough hearing.
