Karnataka: A 23-year-old Muslim migrant worker was arrested in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district for his alleged “anti-national” activities on social media, police said on Thursday, August 13.
Mohammad Sameer from Sitapur’s Sadarpur village, Uttar Pradesh, is a daily wage labourer in Kalaburagi.
He was detained following a police raid conducted the previous day following information through its technical social media monitoring, information-sharing and information-portal mechanisms.
Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Sharanappa SD told PTI that the man was found to be following multiple Instagram accounts allegedly engaged in anti-national and radical activities.
A case was registered at University Police Station under Sections 113(3) (terrorist act) and 197 (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Addressing a press conference, the Commissioner said Mohammed Sameer was taken into custody and questioned following his suspicious activities on social media. It was confirmed that he was following certain anti-national social media accounts and was in contact with their handlers.
According to him, over the last few days, the accused was found to be in continuous contact with certain anti-national social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
He was following these accounts and was allegedly engaging in activities that encouraged or promoted the content posted on them.
“There are some suspicious (social media) accounts that were posting anti-national content. In the case of some of these suspected accounts, we have reason to believe that their handlers may be Pakistani nationals.”
“Against this background, we took him into custody, registered a case against him, and the investigation is now underway,” the officer said.
“He was following anti-social accounts and encouraging and promoting their activities,” he said.
The commissioner said that mobile phone of the accused has been seized and a detailed digital and forensic analysis will be done.
“Once that is completed, we will know whom else he was in contact with, whether he was forming any group, and whether he was involved in any other activities,” he added.
The officer clarified that initially, along with Sameer, another person was also taken into custody and questioned. However, since the other person was not found to have any suspicious activity, so no action was taken against him, he said.
Since the case concerns national security, the information has been shared with the concerned state and interstate agencies, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
-
Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To 265 As Rescuers Race Against Time To Find Survivors
-
Germany Train Station Evacuated After Suspicious Object Found On Tracks, Later Cleared Of Explosives
-
Heavy rain lashes Odisha, triggers flood fear in northern districts
-
‘He can be selected’ - Xabi Alonso confirms Mykhailo Mudryk call for Juventus match as three Premier League clubs track Chelsea winger
-
Antonin Panenka on football’s most iconic penalty: ‘My spot-kick in 1976 changed everything – but Sepp Maier hated me. He had my photo on his dartboard’
