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Businessman held for ‘objectionable’ social media post on Sambhal unrest

Mohammad Javed, the accused, was out on bail after his arrest in 2022 for allegedly instigating violence in the city’s protests against then-BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s remarks about the Prophet

Police personnel stand guard near the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on Monday. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

The Prayagraj police on Monday arrested 59-year-old businessman Mohammad Javed, popularly known as Javed Pump, for allegedly attempting to incite public unrest over the recent violence in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh through an “objectionable” social media post. Javed, the prime accused in the 2022 Prayagraj violence, was out on bail.

The Sambhal violence erupted on Sunday after a team conducted a court-ordered survey of a mosque, resulting in the deaths of four persons.

According to Prayagraj police, they had been monitoring social media activities following the Sambhal violence. On Monday, they identified Javed’s post and it was taken down.

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“Javed had posted an objectionable comment on social media regarding the Sambhal violence, which seemed aimed at inciting public unrest in the city. We arrested him on charges of breaching peace. He was produced before a local court, which has sent him to judicial custody,” said Hari Shankar, senior sub-inspector of the Kareli police station.

Javed’s involvement in Prayagraj Violence

On June 10, 2022, the Prayagraj police arrested Javed for allegedly being the one of the accused in the violence that broke out in the city during protests against remarks made by then-BJP leader Nupur Sharma about the Prophet.

Javed was accused of instigating people through social media.

Two days after the arrest, the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) demolished Javed’s house, citing illegal construction. The police also invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him when he was lodged in jail. The trial in the case is still pending in court.

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