On Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police apprehended Mazhar Iqbal, a resident of Dhanore Jaralan village, for allegedly utilizing a VPN application on his mobile phone, in contravention of an order issued by the district magistrate on May 6th. Upon examination of his device, a patrol unit discovered the VPN application.
According to a police spokesperson, Iqbal was charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Darhal police station. This action is in compliance with an order issued on April 24th by the Additional District Magistrate of Rajouri, Rajeev Kumar Khajuria, requiring the immediate suspension of VPN services within the district. This measure was implemented as a preventive step to shield delicate and vulnerable data, including information pertaining to the Lok Sabha elections, from potential cyber threats.
This incident signifies the second such booking in the area, following another individual’s apprehension by the Kandi police station for a similar violation of the magistrate’s directive.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a secure digital tunnel between a device and a server operated by the VPN provider. This tunnel encrypts personal information, conceals IP addresses, and enables users to circumvent internet restrictions such as website blocks and firewalls. Consequently, online activities remain private, protected, and significantly more secure.
