Jammu and Kashmir Police file charges against 65 people for staying past visa limits

The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch has filed chargesheets against 65 people accused of staying in the region illegally on expired visas. Fifteen of the people named in these charges are dead. Officials said the latest chargesheet was filed on October 23 before the Special Mobile Magistrate in Kathua and names five accused, three of whom are dead. Another chargesheet was filed earlier on November 24 before the Munsiff Court in Jammu against 12 people, including four who had passed away.

Background

These police actions follow a major security crackdown launched after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which left 26 civilians dead. Following the attack, the central government cancelled short-term visas given to Pakistani nationals and ordered them to leave the country. Officials noted that the accused entered India using valid Pakistani passports and had lived in districts like Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, and Kathua for four to five decades. Many of them married local residents and raised families with children and grandchildren.

Investigation Details

Investigators stated that the chargesheets stemmed from eight cases tied to FIR No. 16/2024 at the Special Crime Wing police station in Jammu. Police alleged that some individuals hid their foreign nationality to get Indian identity cards, while others used fake documents to secure government jobs. A special investigation team looked into these cases under the Foreigners Act, the Passport Act, and the Ranbir Penal Code. Local Indian spouses and other family members accused of joining the conspiracy were also included in the chargesheets.

Legal Stays

The police drive heavily affected Pakistani women who moved to the region after marrying locals, prompting legal challenges in court. The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court stepped in to stop deportations in several instances. These legal stays included the case of police head constable Ifthkar Ali and his eight siblings, who were stopped while traveling to the Attari border. The court also halted the deportation of Menal Khan, a Pakistani national married to a CRPF jawan in Jammu, though the jawan was later dismissed from service for hiding his marriage.

Context

Visa overstay cases involving long-term residents often highlight complex legal and humanitarian questions when individuals marry locals and build families over decades. Security measures implemented after major terror attacks frequently lead to stricter enforcement of immigration and foreign national laws. Courts often review these enforcement actions individually, particularly when citizens and long-term residents challenge administrative orders affecting their families.