Kerala student activist held in Nagpur for alleged Naxal links released
Sydeek, who hails from Edappally in Kochi, was staying at a hotel in Lakadganj area with his friend Isha Kumari (22), a student from Nagpur.
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Police maintain that the investigation is underway.
A 26-year-old student activist and freelance journalist from Kerala, Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, was arrested in Nagpur on Wednesday on charges of “preparing to wage war against the government”.
Sydeek, who hails from Edappally in Kochi, was staying at a hotel in Lakadganj area with his friend Isha Kumari (22), a student from Nagpur, currently studying in Pune.” She was released later in the day after which she is said to be back with her family in Bihar.
Police officials said he was taken into custody after receiving intelligence inputs about his alleged connections to Naxal groups. Officers from the city’s Crime Branch, led by senior inspector Kamalakar Gaddime, raided the hotel and later claimed to have found literature related to Naxalite ideology in his possession.
Both Sydeek and Kumari were brought to Lakadganj police station. While Sydeek was arrested under several stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — including for allegedly ‘preparing to wage war’ — Kumari was also later arrested, though police have not yet clarified the charges against her.
Sydeek has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 149 (preparing to wage war against the government of India), 192 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) among other provisions.
Police sources told The Indian Express that he had posted derogatory remarks on a social media platform and he was arrested after his phone was traced. A remand of five days for Sydeek has been obtained for further interrogation.
According to police, Sydeek describes himself as an independent journalist and student organiser. He has written for platforms like Maktoob Media and The Observer Post, focusing on issues such as caste discrimination, communal violence, and the rights of marginalised communities.
Sources close to Sydeek say he had recently participated in a press conference in Delhi calling for the release of jailed journalists across the country. He had reportedly met Kumari on Instagram, and the two had been in contact for several months before meeting in Nagpur. His Instagram has been withheld in India.
Police maintain that the investigation is underway.
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