Pakistani Lashkar operative arrested in J&K after entering India for hair transplant: Officials

In a startling revelation, security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have arrested a Pakistani national allegedly linked to the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who reportedly entered India to execute terror activities but later abandoned the mission and underwent a hair transplant in Srinagar.

Officials identified the accused as Mohammad Usman Jatt, alias “Chinese”, a resident of Lahore and an active operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He was arrested earlier this year by Srinagar Police along with Abdullah, alias Abu Huraira, another alleged LeT operative.

According to investigators, Jatt had infiltrated into India with instructions to carry out terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. However, during interrogation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), he allegedly revealed that his mindset changed after witnessing the realities of life in Kashmir, which differed from what he had been taught in terror camps.

Officials said Jatt disclosed that he had crossed the border with the intention of executing attacks but gradually distanced himself from those plans after spending time in Kashmir.

The case surfaced during investigations into a terror module busted in November 2025, popularly referred to as the “Al Falah module”, which allegedly involved radicalised educated youths, including doctors.

During questioning, Jatt reportedly admitted that he had long struggled with hair loss and believed advanced hair restoration procedures were available only in Western countries. While working undercover with another operative, Sajad Zargam, in Srinagar’s old city, he allegedly came across a local hair transplant clinic and later decided to undergo the procedure there.

Investigators said the accused remained in Srinagar for several months during and after the treatment. Officials further claimed that after the procedure, Jatt travelled with Abu Huraira to Jammu and later to Nepal in an attempt to obtain fake documents, including a passport and PAN card, to facilitate his escape to a Gulf country.

Authorities said another accused, Umar, originally from Karachi, had infiltrated India in 2012 using forged travel documents and had been living under a false identity.

Security agencies are continuing investigations into the wider network, including possible sleeper cells and logistical support systems operating in and outside Jammu and Kashmir.