BHADOHI police on Tuesday arrested a 20-year-old shopkeeper for allegedly waving a Palestinian flag during a procession held after the sighting of the Muharram moon in the Aurai police station area. The matter came to light when a video of the flag being waved surfaced on social media. Taking cognizance of the matter, the police registered a case against two residents, identified as Sahil alias Badshah and Mohammad Gorakh. The case has been registered at the Aurai police station under Section 197 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which relates to imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration. “We have arrested Sahil alias Badshah, who runs a salon, in the case. The video of the procession is being examined further,” said SHO Sachidanand Pandey. According to the police, on Sunday night, a few youths took out a procession in Madho Singh Bazaar, during which some of them allegedly carried Palestinian flags and raised slogans. On Monday, a video of the purported procession went viral, prompting the police to register a case. During preliminary inquiry, it was found that no permission had been sought for the procession. Upon scrutinising the video, the police identified Badshah and Mohammad Gorakh carrying Palestinian flags while riding a motorcycle in the procession. The police said that a case was filed because the incident could create feelings of hatred and animosity among the public.
