India
pti-PTI
Police on Monday recorded the arrest of right-wing political commentator T G Mohandas over remarks he allegedly made in a YouTube video about a student protest in New Delhi over the NEET paper leak, officials said. Mohandas was taken into custody from his residence in Koovapadam in Kochi on Sunday.
Officials said Mohandas was brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station around midnight, where his arrest was formally recorded. He will be produced before the concerned magistrate court later in the day, officials said. The police team collected information about his YouTube account and seized digital devices allegedly used to create and upload the video, officials said.
Political commentator T G Mohandas was arrested in Kochi and taken to Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station for allegedly making provocative remarks in a YouTube video about the Delhi NEET protest, facing charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act for inciting unrest.
The seized gadgets will be presented before the court and sent for forensic analysis, officials said. Police officials said they are looking to add more charges against Mohandas after conducting further investigation.
Currently, he is charged with various offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act and Kerala Police Act for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot, publishing or circulating false statements, rumours or reports, and causing nuisance to any person through any means of communication. Police are cautious about protests near the police station and the court in Thiruvananthapuram as a large crowd had gathered near his residence when he was taken into custody on Sunday, officials said.
Police said they have also requested social media operators to take down the controversial video. The case was registered following a complaint alleging that videos uploaded on Mohandas’ YouTube channel, ‘Pathrika’, were intended to disturb public peace and create fear and unrest among the public.
In the video, Mohandas allegedly said the Delhi students’ protest “could lead to incidents of gang rape” and claimed that there would be no complaints because “those attending the protest like rape and there are girls who enjoy being raped”. He also allegedly said that, if he were in charge, he would impose a curfew and order the protesters to disperse and, if they refused, “open fire”.
He further claimed that although some people would be killed or permanently injured, the situation would be brought under control within hours and the bodies shifted to hospitals. Police alleged that the videos were uploaded and circulated on July 24 and 25 with the intention of disturbing public tranquillity and creating unrest by spreading fear among those who participated in the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
