Kerala Man Arrested, Charged Under UAPA For Supporting Pahalgam Terror Attack On Social Media

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 16:52 IST

Muhammad Sanoof, 26, a native of Kerala's Malappuram district, was detained upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia at Karipur airport on July 4.

A man from Kerala was arrested on his return from Saudi Arabia and charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly backing the Pahalgam terror attack last year in a social media post, according to reports.

Muhammad Sanoof, 26, a native of Kerala’s Malappuram district, was detained upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia at Karipur airport on July 4. A case was registered against him last year in the Idukki district for an offensive comment under a video featuring the daughter of a Pahalgam attack victim.

Police issued a lookout notice against Sanoof after a case was registered by a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader. Police officials told news agency PTI that he was charged under UAPA following his interrogation and the examination of his mobile phone.

The cops alleged that Sanoof’s remarks under a social media post by the daughter of N Ramachandran, a native of Kochi who was killed in the Pahalgam attack, justified the act of terrorism that killed 25 tourists and a local.

Sanoof has also been booked for promoting enmity between different religious groups. He has been remanded to judicial custody. Police said they would move the court seeking his custody for detailed interrogation, and the investigation is likely to handed over to the Crime Branch or the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

“How does a young Malayalee get brainwashed into celebrating the brutal, cold-blooded murder of a fellow Malayalee in the Pahalgam terror attack? The arrest of this youth, Muhammed Sanoof Abdul, for his anti-national remarks celebrating the killing of innocent terror victim N. Ramachandran should be a wake-up call for every Malayalee," said Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Chandrasekhar alleged that it was not an isolated incident, but a consequence of “years of appeasement, radicalisation, and Congress-CPM’s political hypocrisy". He said Kerala’s future lies in deeper integration with India’s growth.

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Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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