The 29-year-old Kashmiri man, who was arrested by Chhattisgarh Police on Wednesday for “liking, sharing and forwarding anti-India posts” on social media, has been booked for sedition. He is presently in jail for 15 days but could face life imprisonment if convicted.
29-year-old Tauseef Ahmad Bhat, an engineer, was arrested by a team of Durg police in Madhya Pradesh from the Jammu-Tawi Express at Sagar railway station.
Bhat, who works with a mobile phone company, was arrested after a group of local youths in Chhattisgarh had lodged a complaint against him on August 2.
Explaining the nature of content shared by Bhat, Superintendent of Police, Durg, Amresh Mishra, said “one (Facebook post) represents India as a mouse, while another shows China recognizing Kashmir as disputed,” a report in The Indian Express said.
According to the report, while the police had initially told media that the complaint against Bhat was lodged by activists of Bajrang Dal, senior police officers of the state on Friday clarified that the complainant was actually filed by a Vishwa Hindu Parishad district coordinator.
The report quoting police officials also said nearly 50 people from both VHP and the Bajrang Dal had come to the police station to register the FIR against Bhat on Tuesday evening.
Talking to New York Times, SP Mishra, said initial investigations have suggested that Bhat “was not found to be involved in any other activity.”
Accusing Bhat of “anti-national activities”, the complaint states that the engineer is a part of a “conspiracy” and “…it is not just one person behind it, but an entire team.”
The complaint also reportedly mentions “insulting comments” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared by Bhat on his Facebook profile.
“These things are and may be normal in Kashmir, but not in this part of the country,” SP Mishra told NYT.
Feature image source: ScoopWhoop
