Gautam Gambhir Receives Death Threat from Group Claiming to Be ‘ISIS Kashmir’ Amid Rising Security Concerns
NEW DELHI: Former cricketer and ex-BJP MP Gautam Gambhir has once again become the target of a serious death threat, this time from a group identifying itself as “ISIS Kashmir”.
The threat was issued via email on Tuesday, coinciding with a brutal terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that left at least 26 people dead, most of them tourists.
According to Gambhir’s office, the threatening messages were sent from a suspicious Gmail account and consisted of just one chilling word in each email: “IKILLU”. Two such emails were received on the same day.
Following the threat, Gambhir’s team filed a formal complaint at the Rajinder Nagar police station in Delhi on Wednesday.
A representative from his office stated, “We trust the law enforcement agencies and hope the matter will be dealt with seriously.”
Delhi Police confirmed the development and have launched an investigation into the emails. A senior police official informed the media that the cybercrime cell is actively tracing the origin and nature of the messages.
This isn’t the first time Gambhir has been threatened. In November 2021, he received a similar set of menacing emails, allegedly from the same group.
Those messages included graphic warnings, one of which read, “We are going to kill you and your family”, along with a video clip that was reportedly shot outside his residence in Rajinder Nagar.
Police investigations at the time had traced the origin of those threats to Pakistan, prompting a significant increase in security around his home.
Earlier in December 2019, Gambhir also reported threatening calls from international numbers, which had again led to enhanced protection measures.
Due to his high-profile status and vocal positions on national security, Gambhir’s safety remains a concern. Having served as a Member of Parliament from East Delhi under the BJP until 2024, and known for his outspoken views on terrorism and national integrity, authorities are now reassessing and tightening security around his residence in the capital.
The group claiming responsibility for these threats remains elusive. Despite carrying the name “ISIS Kashmir,” little is definitively known about its structure or leadership.
Historically, similar threats have emerged from groups aligning themselves with global jihadist ideologies, such as ISJK (Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir), which has a documented presence in the region.
The Islamic State’s propaganda magazine Dabiq had mentioned back in February 2016 that its Khorasan faction intended to expand operations into Kashmir, targeting Hindus and rival Islamist factions allied with Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Indian security agencies have, over the years, conducted multiple crackdowns on IS-linked operatives. In 2018, three members of ISJK were arrested in Srinagar with arms and explosives.
In 2022, after an attack in Srinagar that left a police officer dead and two injured, the group released a statement distancing itself from ISI-backed factions and asserting independent operations.
More recently, in March 2023, Assam police arrested Haris Farooqi, allegedly the head of ISIS in India, along with an associate, as they illegally crossed into India from Bangladesh.
With the latest threat to Gambhir, security agencies are on high alert, treating the matter with utmost seriousness as they attempt to track down the source and prevent any potential attack.
