The Uttar Pradesh Police on May 13, booked social media handles and arrested individuals for disseminating “anti-national content, spreading rumours, sharing AI-generated content related to Operation Sindoor, and posts putting out statements in support of Pakistan.”
The special investigation of the social media unit at the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters, under the supervision of the Additional Director General (Law & Order), said that it has been closely monitoring social media accounts and online posts.
The FIRs have been registered across regions such as Bareilly, Shahjahanapur, Muzaffarnagar and Sambhal. The social media handles booked include those allegedly encouraging support for Pakistan, posting slogans like ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, comments favouring Pakistan, and the use of Pakistan flags.
After the arrest, individuals who were booked and arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, along with their photos and the posts they allegedly shared, surfaced on X handles. This includes Rehan from Azamgarh, who allegedly posted on Facebook, “Pakistan, Love you, powerful Pakistan Army. Usman from Baghpat (UP) proclaimed himself as a supporter of Pakistan on Facebook. Aqeel Khan from Bulandshahr allegedly posted the Indian Flag in the background and that of Pakistan and Turkey in the front.
The individuals arrested were booked under 53(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), dealing with making, publishing, or circulating false statements, rumours or alarming news that are likely to create feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill will between different religious, racial, or regional groups or castes, section 152 of BNS, dealing with endangering soverigntiy, unity and integrity of India.
The order for arrest came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar’s directed officials to monitor individuals who use social media to share “provocative comments or false news” and take stringent legal action against them.
