Complaint against Swara Bhasker, Twitter over posts on Ghaziabad assault
A police complaint has been lodged against film actor Swara Bhasker and Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari, among others, in connection with tweets about the recent attack on an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The complaint also mentions journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani, reported India Today. The alleged assault on the elderly man took place on June 5.
Complaint filed at Delhi's Tilak Marg Police station
The complaint has been filed at Delhi's Tilak Marg Police station by advocate Amit Acharya, however, an FIR is yet to be registered. The Delhi Police said it has launched a probe. The complainant has sought an FIR under IPC Sections 153 (provocation for rioting), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 505 (mischief) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
What is the Ghaziabad assault case all about?
The incident came to light after a video showing Abdul Samad being assaulted in Loni went viral. He was allegedly beaten up and his beard was cut off by a group of four to six men there. Samad also claimed in a separate video the accused had forced him to chant Hindu deity Ram's name when he was "praying to Allah" during the attack.
Police said there was 'no communal angle'
Police has arrested three people linked with the attack - Parvesh Gujjar, Kallu Gujjar, and Adil. Cops, however, ruled out any communal angle, saying the attackers were both Hindus and Muslims. The assault happened because the accused were angry about a tabeez (amulet) that Samad had sold them, police said, adding the accused and Samad had known each other beforehand.
Brother of accused says Muslim men did not attack Samad
Meanwhile, Faisal, the brother of the arrested accused Adil, has claimed that police's version is not entirely true. He said that Adil and a few other Muslim men had gone to rescue Samad. "They brought Samad out (from Gujjar's home)." Faisal added that it was Parvesh Gujjar who gave the names of Adil and other Muslim men to the police.
FIR against Twitter, The Wire, journalists for their posts
Recently, a First Information Report was filed against Twitter, news website The Wire, journalists Rana Ayyub and Mohammed Zubair, among others, over their tweets on this case. Police said these accused did not verify their posts on the issue, thus giving a "communal angle" to it. "The tweets were an attempt to destroy communal harmony," according to the FIR, filed by the Ghaziabad Police.
Can Twitter also face police action under these complaints?
Twitter has reportedly lost legal protection in India for failing to comply with the new IT rules. It implies that the company's employees can now face police questioning and criminal action over content posted on the social media platform by its users.
