Srinagar, In a controversial move, Indian police have attached GPS tracking devices to two Kashmiri individuals recently released on bail in Baramulla district, raising significant privacy and human rights concerns. This action is part of a broader practice that some are calling a form of “virtual imprisonment.”

According to Kashmir Media Service, the GPS devices were attached to the ankles of two under-trial youth in Sopore, who had been arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Police claim the tracking is to monitor their movements as per court orders, yet this has intensified debates over the infringement of fundamental liberties.

This recent instance continues a troubling trend in the region; just a day prior, another Kashmiri was subjected to similar monitoring in Baramulla. The first known case occurred in November 2023, involving 65-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Butt from Srinagar, who remains under GPS surveillance. Human rights activists have voiced severe criticisms, arguing that the use of such devices on individuals who have not been convicted undermines the presumption of innocence and potentially violates the right to privacy and freedom of movement.