FIR against J&K soldier for remarks on Pahalgam; PIB says he is a deserter

In his 1:45 minute video, the soldier, a local identified himself as Dilhair Mushtaq of the 29 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), accuses the army and the central government of being behind the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam on April 22. A resident of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama, Mushtaq was injured in December last year when militants shot at him when he was home on leave.

The PIB’s fact-check unit called the video “fake”. “A video of an Indian army soldier, accusing the central government of (the) Pahalgam terrorist attack, is going viral on social media. The soldier seen in the video is a deserter and has not been present at his duty since March 2025, nor has been in contact with his family,” reads the PIB fact check. “Please stay vigilant. Do not fall for such videos.”

After the video went viral, J&K Police registered an FIR against the soldier. “The missing report of Army sepoy Dilhair Mushtaq Sofi, sepoy of 29RR was lodged in 11-03-2025 has been converted into an FIR after a video showing him surfaced on social media,” the police said in a statement. “The video, verified by his father and uncle, prompted the registration of FIR.”

Police said the FIR has been registered under sections 197(D) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 152 (act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Ganderbal police station.

“(The) preliminary inquiry also revealed the individual was involved in online gambling and had debts exceeding Rs 10 lakh,” the police said, adding: “investigation has been initiated.”