Khandwa riots: 21-year-old posted objectionable content on FB, arrested

A 21-year-old student, who hacked Facebook profiles to create 'disturbance' between communities, which eventually caused tension in Khandwa recently, says he wanted to take revenge.

Updated on: Aug 22, 2014, 17:38:02 IST

Hindustan Times | By Ritesh Mishra, Indore

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Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested the main accused of the controversial Facebook post that led to communal flare up in Khandwa on July 30. The accused, Nitesh (21), is a first year student of Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Appliances (PGDCA) at a college in Khandwa.

According to Khandwa superintendent of police Manoj Sharma, after thorough investigation, Khandwa police along with special branches of IG Indore, crime branch and technical branches of PHQ, Bhopal nabbed the accused.

Police sources said Nitesh is mentally disturbed but very tech savvy. Six months ago, Nitesh's brother committed suicide. Nitesh is disturbed since then, the cops said.

His brother was mentally challenged and was tagged 'chor' (thief) which probably led to his suicide. After this, Nitesh developed hatred towards the society. The bitterness turned into antipathy and he started hacking Facebook profiles to take revenge for his brother's fate. He posted objectionable posts through the hacked profiles which led to riots in Khandwa recently.

His motive was to create 'disturbance between communities' and take revenge from society which had tagged his brother a thief. It was this 'revenge' which led to tension in Khandwa for nearly 10 days.

"Nitesh's brother was caught by some people when he barged into a house. After this incident, some people started calling him 'chor' because of which he committed suicide. Nitesh was disturbed since his death and he developed a grudge towards a section of people. Hence, he hacked Facebook profiles and started posting objectionable content," said IG (Indore) Vipin Maheshwari while talking to HT.

Police said Nitesh confessed to have hacked more than a dozen Facebook profiles. He accepted uploading objectionable content on Facebook on July 2 through Naved's profile and on July 19 through Anurag Soni's profile. He confessed that on July 30, he hacked Amar Yadav's profile and posted objectionable content that led to communal tension in Khandwa.

Police said Nitesh's parents were not on 'talking terms' with him and he used to spend most of his time alone. "He was tech savvy and took revenge through technology," said the IG.

IG Maheswari further said besides the accused, people who get instigated with these sorts of posts, are also at fault. "People should give time for the matter to be investigated instead of taking to the streets and creating violence," said the IG.

"How can God's existence get degraded by a post on Facebook? People should understand that such incidents cause disharmony in society. There are some 'derailed people' on Facebook and WhatsApp who create such nuisance. This will be checked," said the IG.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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