Mumbai cyber cell to join investigation

The special investigating team (SIT) of the Mumbai crime branch, which is probing the August 11 Azad Maidan violence case, has asked the cyber cell of the Mumbai police to look into the case of Kurar resident Sharif Ahmed Bashir Siddiqui, 38, who was arrested on Thursday by the Pune cyber cell for uploading doctored videos on the internet on the eve of the violence.

The special investigating team (SIT) of the Mumbai crime branch, which is probing the August 11 Azad Maidan violence case, has asked the cyber cell of the Mumbai police to look into the case of Kurar resident Sharif Ahmed Bashir Siddiqui, 38, who was arrested on Thursday by the Pune cyber cell for uploading doctored videos on the internet on the eve of the violence.

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Siddique had uploaded a clip ‘Burma Riots Thrilling Pictures – 2012’ on August 10, a day before the attack, on video sharing website YouTube using his mobile phone.

Sources in the crime branch said they were checking Siddiqui's possible links with the Azad Maidan case and who viewed the video which Siddique uploaded. They will also check if any of the arrested accused in the violence case had viewed the video, and if Siddique had anything to do with the attack which has been established as pre-meditated.

“Only after we get a proper picture on the extent of his involvement and his possible links with the case, the decision on him would be taken,” sources said. Siddique is a BSc in Chemistry and works as a primary teacher in a local school in Mumbai.

“We are verifying his past, his possible links with any organisations and if he has any role in the August 11 violence at Azad Maidan,” he said, adding that it was too early for him to comment on the motive of the accused.

“The Pune police had just got four-day police custody of Siddique, and we are verifying all possible angles,” Shinde added.