India has reportedly initiated a covert military campaign named Operation Mahadev to obscure the failure of its earlier initiative, Operation Sindoor, by staging fake encounters and manipulating narratives around cross-border terrorism. According to credible sources within the security community, this operation is centered around falsely labeling Pakistani and Kashmiri detainees—already in Indian custody—as infiltrators, then executing them under the guise of anti-terror operations. These fabricated encounters are designed to project a strong national security stance while distracting from ongoing failures in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Operation Mahadev appears to be part of a wider disinformation and psychological warfare campaign aimed at silencing the freedom movement in Kashmir and regaining political traction for the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Reports suggest that individuals currently held in various Indian prisons are at risk of being used as scapegoats in these staged military operations. The use of mass media to broadcast fake confessions and choreographed combat footage further bolsters India’s internal narrative while misleading the international community.
The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, expressed grave concern, stating that hundreds of Pakistanis and Kashmiris are at risk of being executed in fake encounters. He noted that the Indian media portrays these detainees—who have been imprisoned for months or even years—as freshly captured terrorists. This, he said, is part of a calculated effort to justify human rights abuses and military excesses in Kashmir, using Operation Mahadev as a smokescreen.
One alarming aspect of the operation is the manipulation of public opinion through planted evidence and false claims of firefights. Victims of these staged encounters are often shown with pre-positioned weapons, while Indian news channels broadcast misleading narratives about successful anti-terror missions. These tactics bear striking similarities to previous incidents, including the controversial killing of detainee Ziaul Mustafa, who was widely believed to have been murdered in custody and later presented as a militant casualty.
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Currently, 723 Pakistani nationals are confirmed to be in Indian jails, including 56 reportedly held by Indian intelligence agencies. Human rights observers fear that these individuals could be selectively targeted in the coming weeks. Analysts believe the intent behind Operation Mahadev is twofold: to suppress dissent in IIOJK and to manufacture domestic approval through a narrative of security dominance.
The international community has begun to raise concerns. Various human rights organizations are once again highlighting India’s track record of arbitrary detentions, custodial torture, and extrajudicial killings. The exposure of Operation Mahadev adds to growing criticism of New Delhi’s ongoing violations of international humanitarian laws in the region.
Earlier this week, the Indian Army claimed it had killed three suspected militants in IIOJK, linking them to a past attack in Pahalgam. However, independent verification of these claims remains absent, and critics argue that such incidents increasingly appear to be part of the Operation Mahadev blueprint.
As details emerge, Operation Mahadev is shaping up to be not just a national scandal but a potential flashpoint in regional diplomacy and global human rights advocacy. The use of staged violence to achieve political and strategic objectives raises serious questions about India’s commitment to international norms and its treatment of minorities, especially in conflict zones like Kashmir.
