Bathinda-based youtuber held for sharing video asking people to ‘target’ Punjab CM’s children

Police arrested a Bathinda-based youtuber Sukhnaib Sidhu for posting a video on his social media handles purportedly containing a speech from an unidentified person sending out a call to target the children of chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann living in the US.

Investigating officials said the online hate content was aimed at mounting pressure on the Punjab CM to go back on police action against absconding Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh.

Sharing details, Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gulneet Khurana said the action was initiated against Sidhu on the complaint of the state and he was arrested on Wednesday.

“The purported video was shot in Seattle, where a person is heard asking a gathering to consolidate support to target children of the CM to protect Amritpal. Sidhu shared the offensive content on his YouTube channel and Facebook page,” the SSP said.

The accused has been booked under section 153 a (committing an offence specified in sub-section (1) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies); 153 b (whoever, by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

Congress leaders including Bholath and Jalandhar Cantt legislators Sukhpal Khaira and Pargat Singh, meanwhile, have termed action against Sidhu as an attempt to gag the media.

Amritpal Singh was booked under a stringent National Security Act (NSA) and has been evading arrest for more than two weeks.