The J&K Police acted against over 130 locals on Thursday (January 1, 2026) in the Kashmir valley for possessing virtual private network (VPNs) applications on their mobile phones. The use of VPNs have been banned in all 10 districts of Kashmir in the past one week.
According to a police spokesman, the J&K Police identified 95 VPN users in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and initiated “preventive action” against them. “The Pulwama Police enforced the District Magistrate’s on unauthorized VPN usage. Ninety five individuals were identified and following technical scrutiny and background verification, no terror-related adverse background was detected and no FIR has been registered,” the spokesman said.
As a preventive measure, the police said, “security proceedings have been initiated against 43 individuals, primarily in the 18–40 age group, for violation of the said orders”. “Genuine users were released after detailed device analysis with a strict warning to refrain from VPN usage in the future,” the police said.
In Baramulla’s Sopore area, the police said 23 individuals were found “using unauthorized VPN services in violation of the prohibitory orders.” “Security proceedings have been initiated against 15 such individuals for non-compliance with the orders,” the police said.
