A student from the Deonar-based International Institute for Population Sciences was arrested and subsequently released on bail for allegedly uploading a communal status on WhatsApp. Given the sensitivity of the matter, the identity of the student, who is a Dalit, has been withheld.
Details of event
According to the Govandi police, they received a complaint from another student on January 23, after which an FIR was registered. The complainant alleged that the accused hurt the sentiments of Hindus by uploading the status with a picture of Lord Ram.
Subsequently, he was arrested under the Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). He was kept in police custody for over two days and then released on bail, police officials said.
The arrested student belongs to the campus group that had sent a confidential letter to the institute director, asking to take down saffron flags and life-size posters of Lord Ram from the campus. The group reasoned that all of it was a part of a political agenda. Following the arrest of the student who hails from Latur, the group tendered an apology letter for “hurting the sentiments” of those celebrating Ram temple's inauguration in Ayodhya.
