Jammu and Kashmir Man Arrested in Gujarat for Attempting to Cross into Pakistan to Meet Social Media Influencer

Police in Gujarat's Kutch district have arrested a Man Arrested in Gujarat, a 36-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir, who sought to cross over to Pakistan to meet a woman he had connected with on social media. Imtiyaz Sheikh from Bandipora district believed that he could enter the country legally through the Kutch border to meet the Pakistani social media influencer from Multan.

Officials say Sheikh reached Khavda village, close to the India-Pakistan border, on Tuesday. He approached locals for help to get permission from the authorities as he believed it was fine to enter Pakistan legally to meet the woman. "Sheikh reached Khavda hoping to cross the border and enter Pakistan. He was under the impression that he could cross into Pakistan from this border," said Kutch (west) Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar.

Sheikh was detained on his arrival at Khavda. After preliminary investigation and cross verification of facts with his family members and at police stations in Jammu and Kashmir, nothing adverse was found. He was let off later in the evening. "Sheikh appeared to be mentally unfit," said Bagmar.

Inspector MB Chauhan explained it was a wrong decision taken by Sheikh while searching for an easier route to reach the influencer since it became impossible to travel from Kashmir. “Sheikh was attracted to a Pakistani social media influencer from Multan and decided to meet her. He used Google Maps and concluded that Kutch was his best option,” he said.

Sheikh’s peculiar request for help from villagers in Khavda, seeking to legally enter Pakistan, raised suspicions. “We brought him to the police station after being alerted by villagers,” Chauhan added.

The case is a reminder of the risk posed by the misuse and misunderstanding of online navigation tools and the importance of proper verification of travel plans before setting out on such journeys.

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