Threats, cases, arrests: Pulwama fallout
On Friday, the Supreme Court directed states and UTS to take “prompt” action to prevent incidents of threats and violence against Kashmiris after the Pulwama attack. In a charged atmosphere, police across states have booked many for their allegedly offensive social media posts as well as people who have harassed them. Here are some of the prominent cases:
HARYANA
Ambala police registered two separate cases of causing voluntary hurt for alleged threats to three Kashmiri students at Maharishi Markandeshwar University (MMU) on February 16. DSP Barara Sudhir Taneja said no one was arrested. MMU officials say 200 of the 421 Kashmiri students have left the campus.
UTTARAKHAND
Two days after the attack (February 16), Dehradun police booked a Kashmiri student for an alleged post against armed forces. He was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
On February 19, police in Roorkee booked seven Kashmiri students of a local university for allegedly promoting enmity between communities and public mischief. No arrests have been made.
Uttarakhand police have named 274 persons in three separate cases for allegedly threatening Kashmiri students. Two cases have been lodged in Dehradun and one in Roorkee.
“Action has been taken against the accused in these cases as per law, and police have been deployed at all the educational institutions and hostels where the Kashmiri students are studying,” said Ashok Kumar, the director general of police (law and order).
UTTAR PRADESH
Police have booked a Kashmiri student of Aligarh Muslim University for allegedly tweeting in support of JEM. He has been booked for hurting religious feelings but has not been arrested, said Aligarh SSP Aakash Kulhary. He has been suspended by AMU, which has advised Kashmiri students to stay inside the campus. Also, five non-kashmiris have been arrested over social media posts. All of them are in jail, police said.
BIHAR
On February 15, the Bodh Gaya police registered a case for an alleged attack on Kashmiri traders at Lhasa market. Three Kashmiris were injured. “No one has been arrested so far,” said Rakesh Kumar, the Bodh Gaya DSP.
ASSAM
Assam Police have arrested 10 persons on charges of sedition for alleged “anti-india” social media posts, senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday. “The state will go full force against anti-national elements,” the minister said, adding that 16 cases have been registered over Facebook posts.
WEST BENGAL
Three cases have been registered for alleged attacks on Kashmiris. Seven were booked in Nadia district for allgedly attacking a shawl vendor on February 18. Five of them have been arrested, said district SP Rupesh Kumar. In another case, police booked unidentified persons for allegedly beating a Kashmiri shawl trader on February 17. No one was arrested. In the third case, police booked a minor for a social media post.
KARNATAKA
A Kashmiri student was booked on February 16 and arrested on sedition charges over his alleged social media post. Bagalur police station confirmed that Thahir Shahzad Lathif, who hails from Baramulla, was remanded into police custody on February 16.
MAHARASHTRA
The Yavatmal police arrested three Shiv Sena youth wing members for allegedly beating four Kashmiri students on February 20, said district superintendent of police M Rajkumar.
MADHYA PRADESH
Bhopal police are probing a complaint against six Kashmiri students of a private nursing college for liking alleged “anti-india” messages on social media. The college has expelled two and suspended other four students.
RAJASTHAN
Three cases involving social media posts on Pulwama have been registered. Four Kashmiri students of NIMS University in Jaipur were booked on February 18. They have not been arrested. In two other cases, non-kashmiris have been arrested for their social media posts.