CRPF constable sacked, arrested for criticising PM

CONSTABLE MISHRA HAD POSTED SEVERAL VIDEO CLIPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAMBASTING PM MODI, RAJNATH SINGH, THE CENTRE, AND ALSO THE JUDICIARY

GUWAHATI: Police in upper Assam’s Jorhat district on Sunday arrested a Central reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable for allegedly posting remarks critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh on social media. The CRPF sacked him a day before his arrest.

Pankaj Mishra, from Ara in Bihar, who was posted at CRPF’s 119 battalion at Rowriah in Jorhat was arrested following a case filed by in Jorhat police station by CRPF sub-inspector Rupram Saikia on behalf of Commandant Balram Behera.

The case has been registered under provisions of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Information Technology (IT) Act for obscene acts in public, criminal intimidation etc.

“Constable Mishra was arrested on Sunday on the basis of objectionable social media posts against the Prime Minister and home minister. He was picked up from CRPF’s camp,” Jorhat deputy superintendant of police Dilip Barua said.

During the past few months Mishra had posted several video clips on a social media platform lambasting Prime Minister Modi, Singh, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA govern- ment at Centre, CRPF top brass and also the judiciary.

According to the police, Mishra was earlier warned by CRPF authorities to desist from such acts, which were in violation of service rules.

In April, the constable, who was then posted in West Bengal, had posted videos criticising the government after a relative serving in the CRPF reportedly died in a Naxal attack at Sukma in Chattisgarh.

Following the incident, he was transferred to Jorhat.

Mishra was dismissed from his service on Saturday after a CRPF internal probe found him guilty of serious violations of service rules.

Following his arrest, the constable told local journalists that he has done nothing wrong and will continue to highlight problems within the force and in other areas in future. Mishra was produced in a local court after his arrest and was sent to judicial custody.