A U.P. police inspector in Bareilly district has threatened a law student of invoking the National Security Act and Gangsters Act against him for tweeting against stubble burning in his area.
In a telephonic conversation that went viral on Friday, Surendra Singh Pachauri, SHO, Sheeshgarh, could be heard asking Ishaq Khan, a student of law, how he dared tweet about stubble burning without his permission. “Come to the police station immediately, else the NSA and Gangsters Act will be invoked against you,” Mr Pauchauri could be heard saying in the audio clip.
When Mr Khan pleaded that he only pointed out about pollution in his neighbourhood and that he was a differently-abled person, Mr Pachauri said he would correct his disability.
In a statement, the Bareilly police responded that Mr Khan tweeted on November 9 and an FIR was registered against Chandrasen for burning stubble under Sections 278, 290 and 291 of the IPC. The Circle Officer of Baheri had been asked to conduct an inquiry into the behaviour of the SHO.
Ramanand Rai, CO, Baheri told The Hindu that he found the audio clip to be authentic. “The language used was not something that we expect from a public servant. The SHO seemed to be under pressure because of the Ayodhya verdict. As the charge was made by a Muslim against a Hindu, he thought it could snowball into a major issue. That’s why he was unusually harsh.”
SP (Rural) Sansar Singh said the report has been submitted and soon action will be taken against the erring official.
