GPS Tracking System Imposed on Bailed-Out Kashmiri in IIOJK

Srinagar, Police authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have implemented a GPS tracking system on a Kashmiri individual recently released on bail, raising significant privacy and freedom concerns.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the tracking device was attached to an undertrial individual in Baramulla who had been granted bail. The individual was previously detained under the controversial Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) at Uri Police Station. Police justified the use of the GPS anklet, stating it was in compliance with a court order to monitor the individual’s movements.

This incident marks another instance where Indian authorities have employed GPS tracking on Kashmiris, the first being Ghulam Muhammad Butt, a 65-year-old from Srinagar, who has been under surveillance since November 2023. Human rights activists have criticized the measure as a form of “virtual imprisonment” and argue that such electronic tagging infringes on fundamental rights, including freedom of movement and privacy. They contend that employing such measures presupposes guilt before the completion of a fair trial, highlighting a significant justice concern.