Uttar Pradesh: YouTuber arrested for threatening Sambhal police for interview
The YouTuber sought an interview with Sambhal Circle Officer about November 24 violence, but when his request was denied, he allegedly threatened the officer.
A YouTuber has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, for allegedly threatening a police officer to grant him an interview regarding the violence on November 24, which resulted in four deaths and several injuries, including police personnel, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday.
The YouTuber Mashkoor Raza Dada reportedly pressured Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Kumar Chaudhary by mentioning the names of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar.
Dada sought an interview with Chaudhary about the November 24 violence, but when his request was denied, he allegedly threatened the officer.
“Mashkoor Raza Dada has been booked for disturbing public peace. He was pressuring the CO for an interview and threatened him when his request was denied. Following the charges, he was sent to jail,” said Sambhal Kotwali Station Officer Anuj Kumar Tomar, as quoted by PTI.
Before being sent to jail on Monday, Dada told reporters, “I have a YouTube channel and a transport business. I wanted to interview the Sambhal CO to gain fame. I called him several times despite being refused. If the interview had happened, I would have become famous across India. I even told the CO that I could involve the CM, DGP, or SP to compel him to agree.”
Sambhal violence
A team of forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Agra arrived in Sambhal on Monday to investigate the crime scene of the violent incident that led to four deaths on November 24. The team conducted a thorough examination, documenting the site with photography and videography.
The violence occurred during the second survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24, which followed a court-ordered probe into claims that a temple had once existed at the location. The clash between protesters and police resulted in four deaths and left many others injured, including 29 police officers.
Prior to this, a survey of the mosque had taken place on November 19 after Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain filed a petition claiming that the area had once been home to a temple.
In response to the unrest, the Supreme Court intervened on November 29, directing the Sambhal trial court to halt any orders concerning the mosque’s survey and urging the Uttar Pradesh government to maintain peace and order. The next hearing is set for January 8.
Another YouTuber's arrest over placing gas cylinders on train tracks
Gulzar Sheikh, a YouTuber who runs “Gulzar Indian Hacker” was arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in August for posting videos featuring hazardous stunts, such as placing bicycles, gas cylinders, soap, and other objects on railway tracks.
“Through a detailed analysis of Sheikh's YouTube profile and social media presence, RPF Unchahar, Northern Railway registered the offence under various provisions of the Railway Act on 01/08/2024,” the Ministry of Railways stated.
Sheikh has uploaded over 250 videos on his YouTube channel, gaining more than 200,000 subscribers as of August. According to the statement, his actions posed a significant danger to railway safety and operations.
