A man in Khandwa, India, has been jailed under the National Security Act (NSA) after allegedly sharing inflammatory social media posts that threatened communal harmony, sparking protests and raising concerns about online content regulation.
Key Points
- A man in Khandwa has been jailed under the National Security Act for allegedly sharing inflammatory social media posts.
- The posts are accused of hurting religious sentiments and disrupting communal harmony in the region.
- The arrest followed a violent protest demanding severe punishment for the accused.
- Authorities invoked the NSA to maintain public order in Khandwa after the social media posts sparked unrest.
The Khandwa administration has sent a man to jail under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) after he allegedly shared objectionable posts on social media to disrupt communal harmony, officials said.
Prabhakar Shinde, alias Prabhu (41), is accused of sharing posts on Instagram that hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community, they said.
The NSA empowers the government to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner prejudicial to the defence of India, relations with foreign powers, the security of the country, or the maintenance of public order or essential supplies.
A case has already been registered against Shinde at the Moghat Road police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on a complaint from local resident Mujahid Qureshi, officials said on Tuesday.
NSA Invoked to Maintain Public Order
Khandwa District Magistrate Rishabh Gupta issued an order to maintain public order and detain Shinde in the district jail under the NSA, they said.
"As per the administration's orders, Shinde has been sent to jail under provisions of the NSA," Moghat Road police station in-charge Dhiresh Dharwal said.
Protests and Aftermath
A group of people staged a violent protest in front of the police station on the night of March 5, demanding the death penalty for the accused. The police had to use force against the protesters to control the situation, officials said.
A separate case has been registered against the protesters on charges of stone pelting, rioting, obstructing government work and blocking a public road, they said.
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