A students’ body in Kashmir has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek his intervention regarding reports of harassment of Kashmiri students studying across India, noting that a significant number had returned home.

The allegations of harassment have come as the administration on Wednesday brought back the body of Bilal Ahmad Sagoo, 28 — one of around a dozen people who lost their lives in the Red Fort blast — to Kashmir.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, which operates outside the Valley because of restrictions on student activism here, has condemned the Delhi blast but regretted that it has created “heightened fear and anxiety among many Kashmiri students”.

“Reports of profiling, harassment, aggressive questioning and sweeping verification drives even in areas and institutions with no connection to the incident have deeply disturbed and unsettled them. Many students, fearing stigmatisation, misunderstanding, or being unfairly targeted, have returned home abruptly, leaving behind classes, examinations, internships, laboratories and crucial academic responsibilities,” the letter reads.

In an update shared with journalists, the association cited the example of Uttarakhand, where it claimed the police have placed 1,700 Kashmiri students under increased surveillance.

“Their communication activities, including social media interactions and group chats, are being closely monitored. The police are also examining the family backgrounds of these students,” the students’ body wrote.

“More than 1,700 Kashmiri students are currently enrolled in various coaching centres and colleges across Dehradun. A fresh verification drive is underway, involving checks of their addresses, ID proofs, hostel/PG/rental accommodation details, and recent movements.”

The letter to the Prime Minister said the association had “strongly and unequivocally condemn(ed) this barbaric act of terror and stand in deep solidarity with the victims and their families during this devastating time”.