The Kamothe police on Wednesday arrested two men for trying to create fear among migrant workers by shooting a video and circulating it through WhatsApp.
Constable Sangeeta Mali received information that a group of people had gathered at Sakharam Mhatre Chawl to record instigating video messages. The police caught one person, identified as Mohammad Saajid Shakil Ansari (45), shooting a video of a group of migrant labourers. The workers are heard saying in the video that they are jobless and have no food, and that the government should get them out of the State and take to their home towns.
Mr. Ansari, a resident of Sector 10, Kamothe, was arrested and his phone was seized. On checking his phone, it was learnt that the video was being forwarded through WhatsApp to one Kamlesh Rajan Prasad Dubey (26), originally hailing from Uttar Pradesh, who had come to Navi Mumbai 20 days ago.
Balasaheb Tupe from Kamothe police station said that on interrogating Mr. Dubey, it was found that he wanted to use the video to bring pressure on the government to take the migrant labourers back home. “We also found from his phone a video where the grains that were given by the Panvel Municipal Corporation was being distributed by him to migrant workers.”
Mr. Tupe also said Mr. Dubey was heard, in the video, signing off as the district youth president of the Rashtriya Sanatan Sangh, and as a social service, he distributed grains to 121 people of Sakharam Mhatre Chawl. “But we found out that all arrangements had been made for the migrant workers and that they were getting food.”
According to the police, Mr. Dubey had assigned Mr. Ansari to shoot the video of migrants so that he could circulate it.
The duo was arrested under Sections 505 (1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. The duo was produced before court on Thursday, and has been remanded to police custody till Saturday.
The police are investigating if there is someone else behind the whole plan.
