A Kashmiri student, studying at a private university in Greater Noida, has joined militant ranks in the valley, social media posts, carrying purported pictures of the boy, claim. Social media posts showed Sofi dressed in a black outfit and claimed he had joined militant group ISJK, an outfit influenced by ISIS ideology. The boy was beaten up in a case of mistaken identity at the university in October

A 17-year-old Kashmiri student, studying at a private university in Greater Noida, has joined militant ranks in the valley, social media posts, carrying purported pictures of the boy, claim.

Ahtesham Bilal Sofi, a resident of downtown Srinagar, was pursuing graduation from Greater Noida's Sharda University. The boy went missing on October 28 after he left the varsity with an official permission to go to Delhi.

"He went missing on October 28. We spoke to his relatives and parents who also didn't have a clue about his whereabouts. We saw his photo on social media and informed the police," said Public Relation Officer, Sharda University.

The boy was beaten up in a case of mistaken identity at the Sharda University in October when a scuffle broke out between Indian and Afghan students on its campus.

A missing complaint was registered in the case at the Knowledge Park Police Station in Greater Noida as well as at the Khanyar Police Station in Srinagar, officials said.

The pictures on the social media showed Sofi dressed in a black outfit and claimed he had joined militant group ISJK, an outfit influenced by ISIS ideology.

The UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) said it has been tracking the case since October 28 and has taken cognisance of the photos.

"We are in touch with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. We are tracking the footprints of the boy from Greater Noida to Kashmir," Inspector General, ATS, Asim Arun told PTI.

Speaking to ANI, Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh said, "Ahtesham Bilal was a student at Sharda University. In October, he went to Srinagar. Later, a video surfaced showing him as a part of ISJK (Islamic State of Jammu & Kashmir). We cannot certify if the video is fake or morphed, and if he has become a terrorist."

The Jammu and Kashmir Police said they were trying to ascertain Sofi's presence in the Valley.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police, who had traced the last location of Sofi's mobile phone to militancy-hit Pulwama district in South Kashmir, is also probing the matter.

"A missing complaint was registered and police teams are working on the case," a senior official said.

According to the police, Sofi had left for Srinagar from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on October 28 afternoon and reached Pulwama a few hours later.

They said his mobile phone details showed that he last spoke to his father, who lives in Srinagar, at 4.30 pm, when his location was traced to Pulwama. However, he had told his father that he was in Delhi and was returning to the university by metro, the police added.