Four persons, including three nursing college students from Jammu & Kashmir, were arrested in Bengaluru on Sunday for posting derogatory comments on Facebook about the Pulwama terror attack that resulted in the death of 44 CRPF personnel. With this, the total number of sedition cases booked in and around Bengaluru after the terror attack has reached four.
The arrested nursing college students are Haris Manzoor, Gowhar Mustaq and Zakir Maqbool. While Haris and Gowhar are students of Spurthy College, Zakir Maqbol (IV year B.Sc) is a student of Chinai College. The trio stay together in a hostel in Marasuru in Anekal. They were arrested by the Surya Nagar police based on a complaint filed by the principal of the college on Saturday.
In his complaint. Babu D. alleged that the trio had commented on a FB post of a colleague Koushik Debnath mourning the death of the CRPF personnel. Responding to the post, the trio posted a comment abusing the army and army personnel.
The trio had allegedly attacked Koushik and his friends in the hostel mess following a heated arguments on Friday. When the issue was brought to the notice of the principal, he filed a complaint.
Based on the complaint, the police arrested the trio charging them under Sections 124A (sedition) and 153A of the Indian Penal Code that deals with the offence of promoting disharmony, enmity or feelings of hatred between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language; section 323 (assault), section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and also under Section 13 (advocates, abets, advises or incites) of the Unlawful Activity (prevention) Act, and remanded in judicial custody.
The trio admitted to posting the comments on FB to express solidarity with Pakistan, a senior police officer said.
In another case, the cyber crime police on Sunday arrested a 20-year-old engineering dropout who put up a derogatory post on the Pulwama terror attack.
Based on a complaint by several people, the Banaswadi police have taken up a case. They picked up the accused, Faiz Rashid, a resident of HRBR Layout, from a bakery in Kammanahalli.
Investigations revealed that he created an account just to put up provocative posts on the Pulwama terror attack.
He has been charged with sedition and also under various section of the Unlawful Activity (prevention) Act, and remanded in judicial custody.
In other parts of the State, two persons were arrested by the Maski police on Sunday for celebrating the terror attack by bursting crackers while a teacher from Belagavi was arrested on Saturday for alleged pro-Pakistan posts on social media.
Earlier arrests
On Saturday, the Bagalur police had arrested 22-year-old Thahir Shazad Latif from Baramulla, who is an engineering student in the city, and a third-year engineering student of Reva College in Yelahanka.
The HAL police had booked a Kashmiri youth Aabid Malik for sedition for posting messages supporting the suicide bomber of the Pulwama terror attack and criticising the army on social media.
In Haveri taluk, police registered a case of sedition on Friday against Mohammad Ali Keremattihalli, a resident of Devagiri village. Haveri SP K. Parashuram said that police arrested him on the charge of shouting pro-Pakistan slogans during a meeting convened in the village on Friday night to condemn the killing of CRPF jawans in Pulwama.
Dy CM assures safety of Kashmiri students
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara has assured Kashmiri students of ensuring their safety in Karnataka and asked them to contact the police in case of any emergency. He posted the message on Twitter following rumours in social media about the safety of Kashmiri students across India.
Mr. Parameshwara said, "In trouble times, it’s imperative to stay united, Harassing, attacking and abusing Kashmiri students is not a solution for anything. Students from Jammu and Kashmir, please reach out to city police if you are feeling unsafe and need help.”
