Kerala Police have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges of sedition for posting derogatory comments about the Pathankot martyr Lt Col EK Niranjan on Facebook.
Malappuram district police arrested Anwar Sadhik form his house in Kodur, under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code at around 1.30 am on Tuesday.
Claiming to be a journalist, Sadhik had posted derogatory comments about Lt Col Niranjan on Facebook but his account was under the name Anu Anwar.
His post went: “Good- there goes one more trouble. Now his wife will be given a job and financial aid. Ordinary folks get nothing. Stinking democracy!”
His Facebook profile had a picture of a little girl as his profile image. The profile said he was a native of Malappuram, studied in Cherukulamb IKTHSS School and graduated in 2009 and that he was currently working with Malayalam daily Madhyamam.
The Chevayur police arrested Anwar on the basis of a complaint by the management of the Malayalam newspaper Madhyamam which categorically denied having any such employee on its rolls.
"He is a salesman in a ration shop and has nothing to do with the Madhyamam daily. He had mentioned the newspaper’s name in that profile just to sound credible.He says that he posted those comments with no vicious intentions and claims that he did not realise it could backfire. Only further investigations will prove a hidden agenda, if any," said Circle Inspector Santhosh PK to The News Minute