Pulwama Terror Attack: 5 held in Bihar on sedition charges

The Bihar police have arrested at least five persons from different districts in last three days for justifying the Pulwama attack and posting “objectionable” remarks on social media and have invoked sedition charges against them.

The suicide attack on a CRPF convoy on February 14 near Pulwama had left 40 personnel dead.

Those arrested on Sunday include a BA part 1 student of a government aided college, Mohammad Tausif Alam alias Bashir, a resident of Katihar. Others are Mohammad Mazhar Hashmi, a resident of Muzaffarpur, Mohammad Wakil of Gaya and Mohammad Imran of Samastipur.

Earlier, on Friday, the Gopalganj police had arrested one Mohammad Majhar Hashmi, 22, for glorifying the terrorist who rammed his explosives laden vehicle into the CRPF convoy.

All those arrested had posted their remarks on their Facebook pages and Twitter, allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans and supporting Kashmir’s struggle for independence. They had also allegedly hailed the suicide bomber, Aadil Ahmed Dar.

Police said all five have been forwarded to judicial custody.

Cases have been registered against them under sections 124a (sedition.—Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards), 153a (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), of the IPC and 66, F (1) C/2 of Information Technology act.

Police said Md Imran of Samastipur was preparing for IIT examination. His posts supporting the attack on CRPF jawans had gone viral on both Facebook and WhatsApp.

Samastipur SP Harpreet Kaur said the arrested youth had also hailed the suicide bomber and glorified his ‘sacrifice’.

Muzaffarpur sub-divisional police officer Dr Shankar Kumar Jha said Mohammad Mazhar Hashmi, resident of Azizpur, had shared an objectionable post on social media, which came to the notice of several people of his locality. “A local resident had informed us about his post. Upon verification, we found the information true. We arrested Hashmi on the charges of treason and disturbing peace and communal harmony after booking him under various sections of IPC and provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000,” he said.

Gaya’s Mohammad Wakil was arrested from the Maigra police station area on similar charges. Gaya SSP Rajiv Mishra said Wakil had written ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ on his Facebook account, which is clearly an act of treason.