JAMMU
A controversy erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after a Kashmiri cricketer was seen wearing a helmet bearing the Palestinian flag during a private cricket tournament in Jammu on January 1, 2026. The player, identified as Furqan Bhat, was representing JK11 against Jammu Trailblazers in the Jammu and Kashmir Champions League, a privately organised event with no affiliation to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. Videos of the incident went viral on social media, triggering outrage in Jammu and prompting police action. The Jammu Police summoned both the cricketer and the tournament organiser for questioning to ascertain the intent behind the act and to examine whether any rules were violated. No FIR was registered.
Cats overtook dogs as the leading cause of animal bites in Kashmir in 2025, with GMC Srinagar data showing 9,019 cat bite cases out of 17,033 reported incidents.
DELHI
Indian scientists have reported a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment by using artificial intelligence to redesign CAR T cell therapy, potentially making one of the world’s most advanced cancer treatments affordable and accessible. The study is led by Dr Tanveer Ahmad, a Kashmiri-origin geneticist, and has been accepted for publication in Nature Communications. CAR T cell therapy involves reprogramming a patient’s immune cells to attack cancer, but it often fails over time as cancer cells evolve. Dr Ahmad’s team has shown that AI can design more durable and multi-targeted CAR T cells, reducing relapse risks. Crucially, the AI-designed therapy can be manufactured in India for under Rs 25 lakh, compared to nearly Rs 4 crore in the United States. AI enabled rapid virtual testing of thousands of designs, cutting costs and development time. One therapy has entered clinical trials, marking a major step towards affordable cancer care.
URI
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has closed a criminal case dating back to 1979, holding that no useful purpose would be served by sending a seventy-year-old woman back to prison after more than four decades of litigation. In a judgment delivered on December 29, 2025, Justice Sanjay Parihar treated the sentence of Shameema Begum as already undergone, citing extraordinary delay at every stage. The case arose from a village dispute over irrigation in Uri, in which an elderly woman died after being struck during a quarrel. After a trial lasting thirty years, the appellant was convicted in 2009 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, but was soon released on bail. The appeal then remained pending for sixteen years. Emphasising the right to a speedy trial, rehabilitative sentencing, the appellant’s age and infirmity, and the absence of state challenge, the court enhanced the fine and disposed of the case.
JAMMU
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed a dowry cruelty FIR against a man and his mother, holding that criminal law cannot be used to settle personal scores arising from matrimonial disputes. Justice Sanjay Parihar ruled on December 26 that the 2023 FIR was retaliatory and an abuse of process, triggered by the husband’s second marriage after divorce. The court noted serious inconsistencies in the complainant’s allegations, observing that claims of dowry harassment were absent from earlier maintenance and domestic violence proceedings. It also flagged the delay in lodging the FIR and the fact that the couple had been living separately. Citing Supreme Court precedents, the court cautioned against the misuse of Section 498-A IPC and held that even completed investigations can be quashed to prevent injustice.
BANIHAL
A young CBI prosecutor, Advocate Sheikh Adil Nabi, died at SKIMS Soura after succumbing to injuries sustained in a road accident near Banihal. The collision occurred near the railway crossing when his Alto K-10 was hit by a Scorpio vehicle. He was initially treated at Sub-District Hospital Banihal, later shifted to GMC Anantnag, and then referred to SKIMS for advanced care. Recently appointed as a CBI Public Prosecutor in Chandigarh after clearing the UPSC examination, Sheikh Adil Nabi was about 35 years old. Police have seized the vehicle involved, arrested the accused driver, and registered an FIR at Banihal police station.
JAMMU KASHMIR
A shift to digital governance in Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in an estimated annual reduction of over 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a study published in the Journal of Research in Environmental and Earth Sciences. Authored by Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary to the Government, Department of Science and Technology, the study quantifies the environmental gains of the e-Office system rolled out fully in 2021. It estimates that digital workflows have avoided about 10,294 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year by replacing paper-based administration and physical file movement. As of July 2025, more than 1.14 lakh users have processed millions of files and receipts electronically, eliminating over 40 crore sheets of paper and saving around 4,500 tonnes of CO2 annually. Additional reductions stem from lower household and office energy use, reduced transport and increased remote access. The study presents Jammu and Kashmir as a replicable model for low-carbon public administration in fragile ecosystems.
JAMMU
A special NIA court in Srinagar has acquitted three accused in the 2020 terror attack case on a CRPF convoy near the Taingan bypass, in which two personnel were killed, and four were injured. Additional Sessions Judge Manjeet Rai held that the prosecution failed to prove the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. While the court accepted that the attack had occurred, it found no cogent, independent evidence linking the accused to the incident. The alleged role of the accused as over-ground workers rested mainly on disclosure statements in another case and belated pointing-out memos, without reliable corroboration. Granting the benefit of doubt, the court acquitted the accused under relevant UAPA provisions and ordered their release, subject to any other pending cases.
AMERICA
The Special NIA Court in Srinagar has issued a proclamation against three overseas Kashmir-origin individuals for alleged anti-national propaganda, after police said they evaded arrest and went underground. The proclamation, issued under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in an FIR registered by Counter Intelligence Kashmir, names Turkey-based businessman and former Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Mubeen Ahmad Shah, US-based architect Azizul Hassan Ashai alias Tony Ashai, and Germany- or Canada-based activist Rifat Wani. The police have said the case involves offences under Sections 153-A and 505 of the IPC and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to investigators, the accused were allegedly part of a coordinated digital misinformation campaign, while using social media to circulate fabricated and secessionist content aimed at inciting unrest and disrupting public order. The court has directed the accused to appear by January 31, 2026, failing which further legal action may follow.
NIGEEN
Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has removed the designation “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his verified X profile, claiming he was compelled to do so under sustained pressure from the Jammu and Kashmir administration and warned that his account could otherwise be taken down. Describing the decision as a “Hobson’s choice”, Mirwaiz said the ban on all Hurriyat constituents under the UAPA had rendered the organisation illegal, leaving social media as one of his few remaining avenues of communication. The move has triggered mixed political reactions, with some leaders defending it as a pragmatic step taken under coercive circumstances, while others questioned its implications. The episode has revived debate over shrinking civic space and the continued crackdown on separatist politics in Kashmir.
HIMACHAL
Bilaspur police have registered an FIR after a Kashmiri shawl seller, Abdul Ahad Khan from Kupwara, was allegedly assaulted and his goods worth Rs 20,000 destroyed in Ghumarwin. He reported being attacked by three masked men while on his way to work. The case, filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, is under investigation. Videos by local shawl sellers allege repeated harassment and threats, despite valid documentation. Political leaders and civil society have condemned the incidents, terming them hate crimes and urging government action. Reports indicate that such attacks on Kashmiri traders in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are increasing, prompting calls for protective measures to safeguard their livelihood and ensure safety.
DOORU
Vauthuru village in Dooru, once defined by agriculture and narrow lanes, is witnessing a transformation through the Kashmir Chocolate Factory, founded by a young resident Majid Majeed. An engineering graduate, Majid returned to Kashmir with a vision to create employment and produce quality chocolate locally, filling a market gap. Starting small amid infrastructural and climatic challenges, he focused on research, experimentation, and controlled production to meet taste and health standards. Today, the factory serves local and national markets, employing nine permanent workers. Majid’s venture demonstrates how innovation, self-reliance, and entrepreneurship can generate opportunities, reshape rural economies, and inspire educated youth in Kashmir.
UTTER PRADESH
Uttar Pradesh Police have detained two men from Jammu and Kashmir after villagers reported their suspicious behaviour in Bareilly’s Dhimri village. Acting on complaints posted on the police’s X handle, Izzatnagar police launched a search, citing concerns over the men’s language and conduct. The suspects allegedly tried to evade detection by blending into a crowd and offering namaz, but were later apprehended. Identified as Shaukat Ali and Sajjad, residents of Poonch, they told police they were staying in a local mosque and surviving by begging. No incriminating material has surfaced so far. Intelligence agencies and the Local Intelligence Unit have joined the probe, and their Aadhaar details have been sent to the Jammu and Kashmir Police for verification.
