Journalist and three others allegedly linked to PFI arrested on way to Hathras charged with anti-terror laws
New Delhi/IBNS: A journalist and three others who were arrested earlier this week by the Uttar Pradesh Police while they were going to meet the family members of the Hathras gang-rape victim have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sedition according to an FIR lodged in a police station in Mathura, said a media report.
According to Hindustan Times report, Atiq-ur- Rehman from Muzaffar Nagar, Siddiq from Malappuram (Kerala), Masood from Bahraich and Alam from Rampur were placed under preventive detention on Monday last and an FIR was lodged against them at Mant Police Station in Mathura. Siddiq is a journalist.
The report said a laptop and some objectionable literature relating to 'Justice for Hathras Victim' were allegedly recovered from them
All of them allegedly have links with Popular Front of India’s (PFI) student wing Campus Front of India (CFI) and were coming from Delhi and moving towards Hathras in a car and were stopped, said police, reported HT.
The Uttar Pradesh government has already expressed apprehensions over conspiracies being planned by certain elements to whip up caste and communal violence around the gang-rape case.
The FIR stated that they were collecting donations through those working for website Carrd.co, adding that the money transfer was not through lawful method and the money collected from international sources was to be used for inciting communal violence.
Their pamphlets 'Am I Not India’s Daughter’ were to serve the unlawful purpose, the HT report added.
The four men have been accused of inciting a riot, spread rumours, gather people and wage a hate campaign against India through its website, the report stated.
Police said the alleged website was telling people ways to cause riots and to move out safely after achieving the objective.
All four arrested were accused of involvement in all these activities through the website, alleged Prabal Pratap Singh, the sub inspector who is the complainant in the case, who said these illegal acts make them liable for sedition charges.
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