The arrest was made by local police, who later handed the case over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad. Following hours of questioning, a case was filed against Abdul Mazhar Talha and he was subsequently sent to jail.
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Authorities did not find any evidence linking a Deoband student, arrested on Wednesday, to any suspected terror organisation, a senior police official said on Thursday.
Abdul Mazhar Talha, a student of Darul Uloom, was arrested on charges of posting content related to the Pulwama attack on social media.
Talha, a resident of Sarai Kela in Jharkhand’s Jamshed Nagar, underwent extensive interrogation after sharing the post about the Pulwama attack on Tuesday. The arrest was made by local police, who later handed the case over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Following hours of questioning, a case was filed against Talha and he was subsequently sent to jail.
Inspector Soobe Singh of Kotwali Deoband stated that charges against Talha include Sections 295A and 153B, as well as 505(2) of the IPC. The accused was produced in a court, leading to his incarceration. Singh clarified that investigations so far did not establish any connection between the student and terrorist activities, media reports reaching here said.
During questioning, Talha reportedly mentioned social media discussions about controversial religious topics, including the Babri Masjid issue and speculations about Gyanvapi Mosque. He claimed that these discussions influenced him to post about Pulwama impulsively. However, he later admitted his mistake and issued an apology.
While scrutinising Talha’s phone records and social media accounts, the police and ATS found no evidence linking him to terrorist organisations. Despite initial suspicions, the focus of the charges shifted towards incitement of religious sentiments, intentional insult to religious beliefs, and contempt of court.
Efforts to obtain further details from Darul Uloom Deoband representatives were unsuccessful. Clarion India attempted to contact various officials from the institution, but their responses could not be obtained.
