Woman arrested in Bareilly for inciteful social media post

Exchange of communal posts on social media between two minors led to brawls in Bareilly; police acted against 33 people including five minors; seven FIRs lodged in past one week

A woman medical practitioner, who runs a private hospital and maternity center, was arrested and sent to jail for creating an inciteful post to attack a Hindu minor boy, in Bareilly, on Friday. The boy had exchanged communal remarks with a Muslim boy on social media in Bareilly, senior police officials said on Saturday.

For representation only (HT File Photo)

Police officials said legal action has been taken against 33 people including five minors in the past one week in connection with the series of brawls that happened over the social media posts. They said 28 adults have been arrested and sent to jail while five minors were sent to a juvenile home.

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), rural, Raj Kumar Agarwal, said that the accused doctor, Nargis Siddiqui, was arrested from her house in Narsua Bhairpura locality of Bareilly. He said the woman runs a private medical and maternity home and claimed to be a gynaecologist, but failed to present proper documents to certify her being a medical practitioner.

He said the police have written to the medical and district administration authorities to verify the woman’s credentials and the legality of the maternity centre. He said further action will be decided according to the findings. He said that for now, the woman has been booked for inciting communal violence and the misuse of social media platforms.

The ASP stated it all started on August 18 when two minor boys of Hindu and Muslim communities indulged in an exchange on Facebook. He said that the woman created inciteful posts to attack the house of Hindu boy.

He said several other similar inciteful posts surfaced on different social platforms after which a Muslim group surrounded the boy’s house in Sheeshgarh police station limits and pelted it with stones. He said as many as seven different cases have been registered against the minor boys and other people at Sheeshgarh and Shahi police station since August 19.

Agarwal said the police have so far arrested 33 people including the two minor boys through whom it all started. He said the two boys have been sent to a juvenile home while 28 other adults were sent to jail including the woman practitioner. He said two more communal inciteful posts surfaced on Friday and the police have been making efforts to trace people behind it and take action against the creator.