FIR against Twitter handle for stoking communal fire

Day after stone pelting in Shahpur, Twitter handle named 'MuslimMirror' uploads video, says 'armed #BJP #RSS activists with police in Shahpur'

Ahmedabad Crime Branch's cyber cell has filed a complaint against a Twitter handle for trying to create enmity between communities by allegedly uploading a video a day after stone pelting took place in Shahpur.

The video shows officials of Crime Branch and D-staff personnel on bandobast duty, while the text states that RSS and BJP activists were with police to create communal tension between Hindus and Muslims, the FIR states.

On May 8, locals pelted stones at the police near Kodiyavad naka in Shahpur, injuring a police personnel. Following this, police arrested a few persons involved in the stone pelting. Subsequently, the cyber crime was directed to keep a watch on social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation. While doing this, the cyber crime came across a Twitter handle by the name of 'MuslimMirror' (muslimmirror.com). According to the police, a day after the Shahpur stone-pelting incident, on May 9 a video was twisted by the Twitter handle with the description, 'Armed #BJP #RSS activists with police in Shahpur, Ahmedabad. #Rss_terrorists'.

In the video several persons in plainclothes can be seen walking on the road with sticks in their hands. Clicking the link mentioned in the Twitter handle leads one to a website by the name 'muslimmirror.com'

A complaint has been filed against the Twitter handle by the cyber crime under IPC Section 153 (Wanton provocation with intent to cause riot) and also under IPC Section 505 (1) (b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility).

Cyber crime PI S D Kalat said, "We are currently accessing all technical details of the tweet as well as the Twitter handle and further investigation is on." Regarding the website. Kalat said, "Something on that can only be commented once the technical details are accessed."

Syed Zubair Ahmad, editor of the Delhi based muslimmirror.com said, "We stand by our tweet. We received the video by WhatsApp and after verifying it with our sources in Ahmedabad we had uploaded it on our Twitter handle."

-ASIK BANERJEE