He had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir through north Kashmir with instructions to execute a series of terror attacks, officials told PTI.
But during interrogation after his arrest, Jatt allegedly told investigators that his perception of Kashmir changed dramatically after arriving in the Valley.
During their conversations, Jatt learned that the shopkeeper himself had undergone a hair restoration procedure, officials told PTI.
Jatt allegedly began visiting the shop owner frequently and eventually persuaded him to arrange the procedure in Srinagar.
Officials told PTI that he underwent treatment at a clinic inside the city and had to stay overnight there on some occasions during the process.
In a plot twist straight out of a grim satire, a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist who sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir to set up sleeper bases and carry out attacks ended up prioritising his receding hairline over jihad, according to news agency PTI.
Mohammed Usman Jatt, alias 'Chinese', told interrogators that after infiltrating the Valley, he found life in Kashmir completely different from what he had been tutored in terrorist training camps and promptly went for hairline restoration in Srinagar after learning about it from a shop owner, officials told PTI on Sunday.
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Jatt was arrested by Srinagar Police last month alongside Abdullah alias "Abu Hureira", described by officials as one of the longest-surviving Lashkar terrorists operating in the Valley.
Usman Jatt is a resident of Lahore and a trained operative of the banned terror group LeT. He had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir through north Kashmir with instructions to execute a series of terror attacks, officials told PTI. He was allegedly active in north and central Kashmir and had also been tasked with helping build sleeper terror infrastructure outside the Union Territory, according to a report by the news agency PTI.
But during interrogation after his arrest, Jatt allegedly told investigators that his perception of Kashmir changed dramatically after arriving in the Valley. He claimed everyday life in Kashmir was vastly different from what he and other recruits had been taught during Lashkar training across the border, reported PTI.
The case is now being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe owing to its national and international ramifications.
TERRORIST WAS DEALING WITH SEVERE HAIR LOSS, BALDNESS AFFECTED HIS SELF-ESTEEM
Officials said the Pakistani operative had allegedly struggled with severe hair loss for years, something that deeply affected his self-esteem. Though he had heard of hair transplants before, he reportedly believed such procedures were expensive luxuries available only in Western countries.
During his stay in the upper reaches of Srinagar, Jatt came into contact with Pakistani terrorists Zargam and Abu Hureira, who introduced him to members of the terror group's Over Ground Worker (OGWs) network operating in Srinagar and north Kashmir. Investigators said his disclosures later helped police identify and dismantle parts of the alleged support structure used by Lashkar operatives.
It was through one such contact, officials said, that Jatt became interested in undergoing a hair transplant. According to investigators, Zargam took him to a shop owner considered "reliable" by the group. During their conversations, Jatt learned that the shopkeeper himself had undergone a hair restoration procedure, officials told PTI.
Jatt allegedly began visiting the shop owner frequently and eventually persuaded him to arrange the procedure in Srinagar. Officials told PTI that he underwent treatment at a clinic inside the city and had to stay overnight there on some occasions during the process.
JATT WANTED TO ESCAPE MILITANT PAST, GET AWAY FROM INDIA
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After completing the procedure, Jatt allegedly travelled out of Kashmir using public transport — first to Jammu in a passenger vehicle and then onwards to Punjab on a sleeper bus. According to officials, he spent time in the city of Malerkotla watching Turkish television shows and trying to learn English.
Investigators also claimed that during questioning, Jatt expressed a desire to permanently escape his militant past and blend into civilian life. He allegedly told interrogators he wanted to obtain genuine Indian identity documents, including an Aadhaar card, PAN card and eventually a passport before eventually leaving the country for good.
Officials speaking to PTI linked these plans to the case of another Pakistani infiltrator, Umar alias "Khargosh", who allegedly entered India after 2012, managed to secure forged travel documents from Rajasthan, including a passport procured from Jaipur and later fled to Indonesia in 2024, before relocating to a Gulf country.
In any case, Jatt is unlikely to recover either his long-lost self-esteem or enjoy his freshly restored hairline now that he is in NIA custody facing a long trial and incarceration in India. The case has exposed strange contradictions of radicalisation, and offers a bizarre glimpse into human frailties even amid hardened terrorists.
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Published By: Shounak Sanyal Published On: May 18, 2026 15:33 IST
