Kashmiri man gets 5-yr jail term for anti-national activities, fraud in Odisha
Sayed Isham Bukhari from Kupwara district in Jammu & Kashmir, was convicted by the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Chandikhol, under multiple sections of the IPC and Information Technology Act. The charges include cheating, forgery, impersonation, and links with anti-national elements.
Bukhari was arrested on Dec 15, 2023, by the special task force (STF) and district police from Millatnagar village under Dharmasala police limits.
He had been posing as a doctor and living intermittently in the area since 2017 when he married a local woman after meeting her on Facebook.
"During investigation, police seized fake medical degrees allegedly from the USA, Canada, and Vellore," said public prosecutor Jagannath Mallick. The court's verdict was based on testimonies from 18 witnesses and 130 documents.
Local residents had previously reported Bukhari's suspicious activities during the 2019 Covid-19 pandemic.
Although police questioned him, he was released for lack of evidence.
This case follows a 2018 incident where the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested another person from the region, Habibur Rahman of Kendrapada district, for alleged links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Bukhari had been staying in Odisha since 2018 by masquerading as a doctor in the PMO and Army. Bukhari, who married multiple women in different states, has a wife and a daughter in Odisha.
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