Srinagar
Authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have intensified their digital crackdown by booking around 150 people across the territory for using Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications on their mobile phones to access the internet.
According to Kashmir Media Service, acting on orders from the New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor, Indian police carried out device verifications across various districts and initiated legal or preventive actions against the individuals under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), previously known as the Criminal Procedure Code.
The majority of cases were reported in Pulwama district (95), followed by Sopore in Baramulla (23), Shopian (15), Kulgam (9), Islamabad (5), Doda (2), and Rajouri (1).
The authorities have imposed a blanket ban on VPN use across all ten districts of the Kashmir Valley and several districts in the Jammu region, citing security concerns. Digital experts, however, argue that the ban primarily aims to limit the flow of information and restrict online access for people in IIOJK.
