3 min readAhmedabadUpdated: Dec 10, 2025 04:33 PM IST
The tribal youth, identified as Paresh Rathwa (31) from Kawant taluka, had allegedly made the reel earlier this week, and was arrested on Wednesday. (Special Arrangement)
The Gujaratpolice have arrested a man from Chhota Udepur district for “endangering the sovereignty of India” by allegedly praising senior Naxal commander Madvi Hidma as a “freedom fighter” in an Instagram reel.
The alleged post came about a month after Hidma was killed in an operation by the Andhra Pradesh police. The tribal youth, identified as Paresh Rathwa (31) from Kawant taluka, had allegedly made the reel earlier this week, and was arrested on Wednesday.
Police said that Rathwa’s social media account had been under the scanner of the Chhota Udepur Special Operations Group (SOG), which came across the alleged post. According to the FIR lodged at Kawant police station, Rathwa had posted the reel on November 25, which was noticed by the SOG on Tuesday while scanning through accounts of influencers on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp.
On Wednesday, Chhota Udepur District Superintendent of Police, Imtiyaz Shaikh said, “Paresh Rathwa had posted a reel on Instagram where he was praising Hidma as a freedom fighter and speaking of tribal people being Naxals. The post challenged the sovereignty of the country and posed a threat to internal unity and security. It was also aimed at creating discord among communities of the country. We have taken cognisance and the SOG Police Inspector has registered an FIR against the accused. He has been formally arrested and further process is on.”
Shaikh also warned tribal youth against the “glamour of social media”, likes and followers. Shaikh said, “It is my message to the tribal youth to not fall for the glamour of social media and post unverified reels just to gain likes and followers. You can become an accused in the eyes of law by posting such reels… Before making posts or comments, always verify the facts, otherwise you may land up in grave legal trouble.”
The FIR has been lodged under BNS sections 152 (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, covering secession, armed rebellion, and separatist activities through speech, writing, electronic means, or finances), 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 196(1)(a) (promotions or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities), 196(1)(b) (any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquillity), and 197(1)(d) (making or publishing false or misleading information, jeopardising the sovereignty, unity and integrity or security of India).
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
