Calling it their attempt to save “radicalised” youth from rotting in jail for years before they are acquitted of terror charges, the Delhi Police have decided to constitute a ‘social media monitoring cell’ that will identify elements who are being “misled”.
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As per the new initiative that is set to kick-off in two months, a special police team will be monitoring the social media profiles of the youths they find are sharing “Jihadi materials” on social networking sites, particularly Facebook.
“The identified elements will be summoned and made to undergo a year-long deradicalisation programme to change their mindset,” said Arvind Deep, Special CP (Special Cell).
These instructions have come directly from the police commissioner, Alok Kumar Verma, who has apparently directed the police to make sure they do not arrest any youth on terror charges unless there are “direct scientific evidence” against them.
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The initiative follows Delhi Police’s recent crackdown on a group of 13 youths they suspected of being involved in terror activities.
The police were subsequently forced to give a clean chit to four of the youths, even as no evidence so far has been found against the six others.
A week since the youths were held, police have been able to claim evidence only against three of them.
Monitoring cell
It was this crackdown, and possibly the backlash over the detentions, which resulted in the new idea of the social media monitoring cell.
“Often, youths end up spending five to seven years in jail on terror charges before they are finally acquitted due to lack of evidence. They lose their career and their reputation even if they are found innocent.
“Our initiative will save them from these irreversible damages,” said Mr. Deep on Monday.
It is the anti-terror unit Special Cell that has been tasked with the job.
A special team will keep a 24/7 watch on social media sites to track youths who share posts, pictures and videos supporting “Jihadi activities”.
If they are found to be involved in any terror-related crime, there will be no let-up.
However, if they are found on the “borderline”, even to the extent of extending support on social media to such activities, they and their parents will be summoned by the police.
Weekly programme
The plan, as of now, is to conduct the “deradicalisation programme” for such youths once a week.
“We will ensure that they are called only on weekends so that their jobs or education is not affected in any way,” Mr. Deep told The Hindu , adding that the youths will be provided confidentiality so that their reputation is not tarnished.
The programme will include the youths’ immediate family members, religious leaders, psychologists and experts who will attempt to bring the “misguided” persons back into the “mainstream”.
The persons involved in the “deradicalisation programme” will prepare a periodical report on the “progress” shown by the suspected youths and these will be analysed by experts.
The officer said that the programme will also come handy in building a rapport with the family members of these youths.
“The parents of these youths will be requested to keep a close watch on the activities of their children and update us,” said Mr. Deep.
The family members will be required to keep a tab on the internet activities of their wards, the places and the people they visit and the nature of conversations they indulge in.
The Delhi Police are already in the process of providing counselling to the 10 youths that they had picked up over suspicion of terror activities, but as of now have been unable to find any evidence against them.
Police directed not to arrest any youth on terror charges without ‘direct scientific evidence’