E-Paper
2 arrested for posting facebook video threatening violence in JNU on I-Day
Bringing attention to the two videos posted on the Facebook page on August 9 and 14, JNUSU said it gave “an open call to gather and march” into JNU campus on August 15 between 2-6 pm to hoist a saffron flag.
Delhi Police said it had apprehended two people accused of threatening to cause violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Independence Day, following a complaint by JNU students’ union on Sunday morning. The complainant alleged that the threat was doled out in a video posted on the facebook page of ‘Mahakal Youth Brigade’, police said.
Delhi police officials said they also received several PCR calls in the matter. “After receiving the PCR call, police personnel were deployed in plain clothes at all gates. The caller came to police station and filed the complaint, also JNUSU office bearers wrote similar complaint, in which they alleged that the video promotes disharmony and enmity between religions, using inflammatory language and also openly issuing threats to [cause] physical hurt,” said DCP (Southwest Delhi) Ingit Pratap Singh.
A case has been registered under Section 153A (promoting enmity), 295A (insulting religious beliefs), 505 and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and an investigation is underway. The police have arrested Uttam Nagar resident Vikas Sehrawat, who was identified as the person giving the call to violence in the video and Raja Kumar, 19, owner of the phone which was used to upload the video.
Bringing attention to the two videos posted on the facebook page on August 9 and 14, JNUSU said it gave “an open call to gather and march” into JNU campus on August 15 between 2-6 pm to hoist a saffron flag. “Additionally, in both videos, there is an open call to violence against any students they encounter during their... hate speech towards Muslims,” JNUSU wrote in their police complaint.
In the purported videos, the speaker calls for people to gather and enter JNU campus to hoist saffron flags in presence of “anti-national” teachers and students.
“This man just threatened JNU students. After the January 5 incident we should be aware of such videos and we need to report to the authorities as soon as possible,” said JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh.
On January 5 last year, a group of masked assailants entered JNU campus and attacked 36 teachers and students including Ghosh who received head injuries in the incident. Earlier this month, the Centre informed Parliament that the Delhi Police have not arrested anyone in connection with the violence.
On Sunday, JNUSU office-bearers have requested the security branch of the varsity to take “immediate action to resist and stop any untoward incident which can disrupt the harmony within the campus and can pose a threat to JNU community.” Despite repeated attempts, vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar did not respond on the matter.
