After decades in J&K, 65 face charges over ‘illegal stay’. 15 of them are dead

On October 23, the J&K Crime Branch filed charges against 65 individuals, many believed to be Pakistani nationals, for remaining in the region beyond their visa validity. Fifteen of those accused have already passed away, officials revealed. The chargesheet was presented to the Special Mobile Magistrate in Kathua on the same day.

Earlier, on November 24, 2023, charges were filed against 12 people, four of whom had already died, at the Munsiff Court in Jammu. These developments followed a police crackdown after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 civilians dead. The government revoked short-term visas for Pakistani nationals and gave them a deadline to leave the country, impacting their families, including women who had married locals and brought children and grandchildren into the region.

The 65 accused had entered India using valid Pakistani passports and resided in Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, and Kathua districts for several decades. Some had married locals and obtained Indian identity documents by hiding their foreign origins, while others secured government jobs with forged papers. A Special Investigation Team, appointed by the Crime Branch headquarters, investigated eight cases under the Foreigners Act, 1946, Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, with the support of Rule 6 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, and the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

Charges were also brought against Indian spouses, family members, and others involved in the alleged conspiracy. Despite the crackdown, the High Court in J&K and Ladakh suspended deportations in several instances, including for police head constable Ifthkar Ali and his eight siblings, as well as for Menal Khan, a Pakistani national married to a CRPF jawan. The latter's husband was later removed from service for concealing their marriage.