Pune student held for pro-Pakistan post rusticated; ATS, NIA join probe

The rustication letter issued to the student stated: “While this Institution recognizes the right to free expression, it also expects students to exercise such rights responsibly and within the bounds of the law. Your posts, which were made from a publicly identifiable account linked to you, have been deemed to undermine the reputation of the college and may incite disharmony within the campus community and society.”

Senior Police Inspector Vinay Patankar said a court has remanded the student in police custody for five days for further investigation.

Police sources said that ATS and NIA officials also investigated the student to find out if she had been radicalised or associated with any suspicious groups. Her social media posts and accounts were checked thoroughly and no association with any extremist outfits was found, they said, adding that the investigation was going on.

As per the FIR registered at the Kondhwa police station, while reviewing online activities in the light of the recent Indian military action in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the police found an objectionable social media post allegedly circulated by the student around 2 pm on May 9.

As per the FIR, the objectionable comment that she received from another account and circulated from her Instagram account stated: “Without a single shred of evidence of Pak’s involvement at Pahalgam, the fascist Indian regime has just initiated war between 2 nuclear states by bombing 3 major civilian areas in Pakistan. This Hindutva – terrorism is right out of the Israeli playbook. India has been vehemently scapegoating Pak for its own failure in occupied Kashmir due to India’s colonisation of the region. This fanatic Islamophobic terrorism that India has displayed is grotesque. May sense, justice & humanity prevail. War serves no one. Pakistan Zindabad.”

The police booked the accused and the account from where she received the objectionable post under Sections 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), 197 (imputations or assertions prejudicial to national integration), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace), 353 (statements that cause public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.