Delhi Police Files FIRs Over Hate on Social Media, Includes Journo Saba Naqvi

The first FIR is against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

Journalist Saba Naqvi.

(Photo: Instagram/_sabanaqvi)

The Delhi Police on Wednesday, 8 June, said that they have registered a case against some people who are allegedly spreading "messages of hate, inciting various groups and creating situations which is detrimental for the maintenance of public tranquility."

Later on Thursday, the Delhi Police clarified that two First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered after social media analysis. One FIR is against suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

The second FIR, registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operation (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell, names expelled Delhi BJP media unit head Naveen Kumar Jindal, among others.

The saffron party had taken action against Sharma and Kumar after several nations were angered over the derogatory comments made against Prophet Muhammad.

The second FIR also names Hindu Mahasabha office bearer Pooja Shakun Pandey, a Hindutva leader against whom another FIR was filed in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh for alleged controversial remarks against a particular community on Monday.

Pandey, also known as Sadhvi Annapoorna, was also booked in April 2020 for allegedly making inflammatory statements regarding the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in Delhi. She was also booked in December last year for delivering a 'hate speech' at Haridwar's Dharam Sansad.

Maulana Mufti Nadeem from Rajasthan, Abdur Rehman, Anil Kumar Meena, Gulzar Ansari, Shadab Chauhan, the chief spokesperson of Peace Party, and journalist Saba Naqvi have also been named in the second FIR.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra had earlier said, "The FIR is against several individuals cutting across religions."

Malhotra had added, "The unit will investigate the roles of various social media entities in promoting false and wrong information with an intention to create unrest on the cyberspace and that have ramifications on the physical space thereby compromising with the social fabric of the country.”

On Thursday, the police said that sections of the two cases are 153 (promoting enmity between different groups), 295 (deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), and 505 (inducing to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police added that notices will be sent to the social media intermediaries for the details.