A seemingly routine robbery complaint at Perumbavoor police station has triggered a high-level investigation after police uncovered a WhatsApp group with 32 Pakistani numbers on the mobile phone of Mubarak Hussain, a native of Assam living in Ponjassery near Perumbavoor in Kerala’s Ernakulam district.

Mubarak, a migrant labourer, initially approached the police alleging he was robbed of ₹37,000 by a five-member gang. However, inconsistencies in his statements raised suspicion. A probe revealed the money was not stolen but lost during a card game allegedly organized by Mubarak himself. Police arrested five others involved: Rinshad and Salam from Ponjassery, Basil and Salahuddin from Valiyakulam, and Anu from Chelakkulam.

During the investigation, Mubarak’s mobile phone was examined, revealing a WhatsApp group that included multiple Pakistani numbers. The group, created two months ago, was reportedly sharing pornographic material, including obscene content involving minors. The group admin was operating from Pakistan, prompting the Intelligence Bureau and Anti-Terrorism Squad to begin a full-scale inquiry.

Given the proximity of Ernakulam district to sensitive facilities like the Cochin Shipyard, Naval Base, and port, the discovery has raised serious national security concerns. Authorities are investigating potential foreign intelligence links, especially in the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

Mubarak has been booked under the POCSO Act and Information Technology Act and is currently in judicial custody. Interrogation is ongoing to determine the extent of his involvement and connections, if any, to external operatives.

#NationalSecurityAlert #KeralaInvestigation #POCSOCase #WhatsAppSurveillance