Retired Assam School Principal Arrested For ‘Politicising’ Delhi Red Fort Blast In Social Media Post

Silchar: A retired school principal from Assam’s Cachar district has been arrested for allegedly posting a controversial comment on social media about the recent suicide blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed nine people and injured 20.

Police Take Suo Motu Cognisance

Police identified the accused as Nazrul Islam Barbhuiyan, a resident of the Rongpur area in Silchar and former principal of Banskandi NMHS School. Authorities said they took suo motu cognisance of Barbhuiyan’s online post and summoned him for questioning on Tuesday afternoon.

Barbhuiyan was initially taken to the Silchar Sadar Police Station before being shifted to the office of the Superintendent of Police for further interrogation. According to police officials, the comment, which read “elections are coming ahead,” was posted in response to a social media post about the Red Fort blast. Investigators said the remark appeared to “politicise” an incident linked to national security.

Chief Minister Condemns Online Reactions

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the social media reactions that appeared to make light of the tragedy. “Many users were seen celebrating and some shared ‘happy’ emojis. Are they sympathising with the terrorists? We will take strict action against such comments,” Sarma said on Tuesday.

The deadly explosion took place on Monday evening when a slow-moving Hyundai i20 car detonated near the Red Fort Metro Station at around 6:52 pm. The blast left mutilated bodies and several damaged vehicles on the road, causing panic in the area.

Police in Delhi are continuing to investigate the cause and possible perpetrators of the explosion, while authorities in Assam have said similar online remarks will be closely monitored for any attempt to incite unrest or trivialise national security incidents.