4 arrested in Uttar Pradesh for making objectionable remarks on Pulwama attack

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested four people for allegedly making objectionable comments in connection with the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Three of them - a man from Ballia, a person from Mau district and a first-year student of a private college in Lucknow - were arrested for making the remarks on social media and another from Siddarthanagar for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans at a meeting and then posting it on Facebook.

Police in Ballia registered a case against a man under provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after his post supporting the attack on Facebook went viral.

"Ravi Prakash Maurya, who claims to be a SP (Samajwadi Party) supporter on Facebook, has allegedly extended support to the act of the person accused of attacking the CRPF jawans in Pulwama. He expressed pride over the incident and also paid tribute," acting Superintendent of Police Vijay Pal Singh said. 

"Maurya's post went viral today, and the police immediately acted by registering a case under IT Act and the IPC against him. He has been arrested," Singh said

In Lucknow, a first year bachelors of arts student was arrested by police for allegedly making derogatory statements pertaining to the attack.               

Rajab Khan, a student of city private college, was arrested on Saturday from his house here for "making derogatory remarks pertaining to the Pulwama incident, and then he also tried to justify them on the social media", Station House Officer (SHO), Hussainganj, Anil Kumar said.

He said a case has been registered against him under the IT Act and the IPC. The principal of the college informed that the student has been expelled.

In a tweet, the Mau police said a person has been arrested for allegedly making objectionable remarks on social media in connection with the Pulwama attack.               

"Mohammad Osama, a resident under Dakshintola police station (of Mau district) has been arrested for making objectionable remarks vis-a-vis the Pulwama incident. A case has been registered against him under the IT Act and IPC," the Mau police said in a tweet on Saturday.

The statement was made on the social media Thursday evening, police said.        

In Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthanagar district, one person was arrested for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans and posting the same on Facebook, police said. 

Sub-inspector at Bansi police station Ajay Singh told PTI, "On Friday, when a meeting was organised in Bansi area of the district to mourn the death of the CRPF jawans, Mohammad Taufeeq raised Pakistan Zindabad slogans."

"When people tried to make him understand he should not to do so, he hurled abuses, and later posted the same comment on social media," he said.

He was arrested on Saturday, and a case has been registered against him under IT Act and IPC, the officer said. In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and many injured on Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district.

In Shahjahanpur, a case was registered against a youth for writing 'Hindustan Murdabaad' in a Facebook post and posting a photograph of some people burning the national flag, a police official said.

"The case was registered against a youth, identified as Mohammed Farhan Khan, for writing 'Hindustan Murdabaad' in a Facebook post and posting a photograph of some people burning the national flag," Superintendent of Police, City, Dinesh Tripathi said.

The youth, hails from the Shahjahanpur's Sadar Bazaar area, and efforts are on to arrest him, he said. In state capital Lucknow, the BJP's Uttar Pradesh media coordinator Rakesh Tripathi said, "It is very unfortunate that on one hand jawans are sacrificing their lives for the safety and security of the country, while on the other, there are some people who are eulogising Pakistan, while they are staying in India."

The Uttar Pradesh government has initiated strict action against such persons, he said

"It is also unfortunate that in the past, such persons used to get political patronage, but under the government of Yogi Adityanath, there is no room for mercy for such people," Tripathi said.