Kashmiri Man's Quest to Meet Pakistani Influencer Lands Him in Trouble

Imtiyaz Sheikh, a 36-year-old Jammu and Kashmir resident, was detained by police after arriving at Khavda village in Gujarat's Kutch district. Sheikh planned to cross the border into Pakistan to see a Pakistani woman he met online, who is a social media influencer.

Journey to Kutch

Imtiyaz Sheikh, a resident of Bandipora district, traveled to Kutch with the hopes of meeting the influencer from Multan. He assumed he could legally enter Pakistan through the Kutch border and sought help from the local residents to gain permission from authorities.

Police Intervention

"Sheikh reached Khavda hoping to cross the border and enter Pakistan to meet a woman he met online. He was under the impression that he could cross into Pakistan from this border. We detained him after he reached Khavda on Tuesday," said Kutch (West) Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar. After a preliminary investigation and checking with Sheikh's family and local police in Jammu and Kashmir, authorities found no threat and released him later that evening.

Concerns About Mental Health

Bagmar stated that Sheikh appeared to be mentally unstable. Inspector MB Chauhan disclosed that Sheikh's wrong attempt came from his desire to find an easier way to meet the influencer, as traveling from Kashmir was not feasible.

Help from Villagers

Sheikh was attracted to the Pakistani social media influencer and decided to meet her. He used Google Maps and thought that Kutch was his best option. Villagers alerted the police after Sheikh sought their assistance to secure permission to enter Pakistan. "We brought him to the police station after being alerted by villagers," Chauhan said.