Kerala man charged with sedition for insulting Pathankot martyr
Police have arrested and charged with sedition a man from Kerala for allegedly making insulting comments on Facebook about Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar who was killed while defusing a bomb during a counter-terror operation at Punjab’s Pathankot air force base.
Police have arrested and charged with sedition a man from Kerala for allegedly making insulting comments on Facebook about Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar who was killed while defusing a bomb during a counter-terror operation at Punjab’s Pathankot air force base.
Anwar Sadiq, 24, was arrested from his home in Malappuram town after the social media post sparked widespread outrage with many demanding immediate action and some prescribing “capital punishment”.
“He works with a ration shop as a salesman and has confessed to his crime,” said ACP Jossy Cherian. “We are investigating whether he has got some connection with some fundamentalist outfits.”
Lt Col Niranjan was cremated at his village in the southern state on Tuesday with hundreds including political leaders paying homage to the NSG commando.
The comment in Malayalam translates to, “So, another trouble maker is also gone. Now government will pay and give job to his wife and we commoners get nothing. Such a stinking Indian democracy”.
The post was later deleted.
The Facebook profile suggested the user was working with Malayalam daily “Madhyamam”, but the newspaper denied the claim.
Police tracked down Sadiq through his cellphone which was allegedly used to post the remarks. Officials said he has been charged under Sec 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code as his comments are of an anti-national nature.
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