Rejaz M. Sheeba Sydeek, a 26-year-old left-wing activist and independent journalist from Edappally, Kerala, was arrested in Nagpur on Thursday over social media posts deemed critical of the Indian Army and government, reported the Maktoob Media.
According to police sources, Sydeek was apprehended from a hotel room in Nagpur where he was staying with a female friend from Bihar. Both were arrested, though only Sydeek was produced before the magistrate. The arrest follows a second FIR within ten days—an earlier case was filed in Kochi on April 29 for participating in a pro-Kashmir protest alongside other journalists.
The FIR filed by Nagpur police alleges that Sydeek was preparing to “wage war against the Government of India,” citing intelligence inputs. Items seized during the hotel raid included books on Marxism, Prof. G.N. Saibaba, and revolutionary history, as well as a T-shirt from a controversial social media post where Sydeek posed with two guns. It remains unclear if the guns were real or props.
Police have invoked Section 149 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for collecting arms with intent to wage war. Other charges include provoking riots and promoting public mischief under Sections 192, 353(1)(b), 353(2), and 353(3) of the BNSS.
The FIR also references Sydeek’s criticism of Operation Sindoor and Kagaar, ongoing military operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, and cites an Instagram post where he allegedly wrote, “Indian Army Murdabad” over an image of a child. Authorities have since blocked his social media handles in India.
Police claim his three-day visit to Nagpur warrants further investigation. Activists close to Sydeek state that no bailable sections have been applied, and they view the arrest as part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
Prior to his arrest, Sydeek had been in Delhi to attend a press conference advocating press freedom and the release of jailed journalists in India. He is associated with the Democratic Students Association and was reportedly en route back to Kerala.
