Kohima, June 9 (MExN): A team of Nagaland and Haryana Police, on June 9, has arrested one Pankaj Gupta, who was run from police for last several days, from Kurukshetra, in Haryana.
“The accused had made serious allegations without basis and authentication, along with conspiracy theories which are a threat to public peace and order,” a DIPR report stated, quoting SP Crime and PRO of Nagaland Police, Manojkumar A.
In a video which went viral over the last week, Gupta had made several allegations relating to the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nagaland, it said.
The Cyber Crime PS of Nagaland Police had taken cognizance of various social media trolls uploaded on various platforms by the accused, which were “inflammatory, abusive, divisive and prejudicial to the maintenance of social peace and harmony attracting the provisions of IPC, which are cognisable and non-bailable,” the report added.
Subsequently, the arrest was based on the non-bailable warrant of arrest issued by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Kohima. The accused is reportedly being processed for transit remand and will be produced before the court in Kohima.
The report further said that the police will be investigating into the “involvement of other co-conspirators on various social media platforms, if any, in furtherance of this criminal act.”
Nagaland Police, through the PRO, has also appealed to the citizens of Nagaland to be “cautious and discreet” in soliciting comments in social media without verifying facts, saying the freedom of speech in a “democracy also comes with reasonable legal restrictions, it said.
The citizens were advised to be ‘mindful’ of such restrictions.
Nagaland Police has also stated that any violation of law will be strongly dealt with as per the provisions of law and sought the co-operation of everyone to maintain peace and harmony in the state, the DIPR report added.
