Kovai woman, SDPI man booked as video fomenting hatred goes viral

COIMBATORE: A woman, her son and a former SDPI functionary were booked by Coimbatore city police on Tuesday for circulating a fake video to trigger communal hatred between religions.

In the video, A Zeenath, 42, mother of Naushad, who was arrested for creating a ruckus by pelting stones on BJP workers at Kannappa Nagar in Kavundampalayam, alleged that her son was thrashed by BJP functionaries while campaigning in their neighbourhood. She also alleged that they shouted slogans like ‘Jai Shriram’ and also accused police of inaction.

She petitioned the district authorities seeking intervention from Chief Minister MK Stalin claiming that incidents of attacks on Muslims, which allegedly happen in northern states, are happening in Tamil Nadu as well.

As the video went viral, the Kavundampalayam police booked Zeenath, her son A Sheriff for circulating it on social media and AJ Hussain, a former Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) functionary for instigation. They were booked under IPC sections 153 (A) (1)(a) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, 505 (2) for creating ill-will between classes and 109 for instigating to commit a crime.

After a BJP functionary and two other women cadres were injured in stones pelted by Naushad, police arrested and remanded him in judicial custody. “The boy was heavily drunk when he created a ruckus,” police said. He was arrested on various IPC sections including 294 (b), 324 and 506 on March 30.

Police have also booked BJP functionaries for unlawful assembly and for posting derogatory comments in connection with the incident on social media.

As Zeenath and her family had lodged a complaint against the BJP functionaries, police claimed that an inquiry was under way.