Lucknow: The Prayagraj police have arrested a 59-year-old businessman, Mohammad Javed, also known as Javed Pump, for allegedly attempting to incite public unrest through a social media post related to the recent violence in Sambhal. Javed, previously accused of masterminding the 2022 Prayagraj violence, had been out on bail, reports the Indian Express.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on Sunday following a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, which resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including police personnel.
Police officials stated that they had been closely monitoring social media activity after the Sambhal incident. On Monday, Javed’s post was identified as “objectionable” and promptly removed.
“Javed’s post appeared to be aimed at provoking public unrest in the city. We arrested him for breaching peace, and he was presented before a local court, which sent him to judicial custody,” said Hari Shankar, Senior Sub-Inspector at Kareli police station.
Meanwhile, a scheduled visit by a Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation to the violence-affected Sambhal district was postponed on Tuesday. The decision followed an assurance from the Uttar Pradesh Police chief of a fair investigation into the matter, a senior SP leader confirmed.
The confrontation in Sambhal on Sunday, stemming from the survey of the mosque, left four people dead and several injured.
In June 2022, Javed was arrested by Prayagraj police for allegedly masterminding violence in the city during protests against controversial remarks made by former BJP leader Nupur Sharma about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was accused of inciting people through social media during that incident as well.
