Jamia Shooter Arrested for Communal Speech at Pataudi Mahapanchayat

A week after the Jamia shooter made a communal speech at a mahapanchayat, an FIR has been filed against him.

A week after the Jamia shooter made a communal speech at a manhapanchayat in Haryana's Pataudi, he has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Earlier on Monday, an FIR was filed against him by Gurugram police.

The man, who had shot at an anti-CAA protester outside Jamia Milia Islamia on 30 January 2020, was booked then as a minor and was let out on bail after a few months.

Since then, he regularly posts pictures and videos on his social media profiles bragging about taking to weapons against anti-CAA protesters. On 4 July, he addressed a mahapanchayat that also had Haryana BJP spokesperson Suraj Pal Amu in attendance.

In his speech, he says, "I have only come here to offer solutions. I never pick up the mic in my hands. Every youth knows what you should be picking up at times like this."

As a solution to 'Love Jihad', a conspiracy theory by Hindu right-wing that alleges Muslim men are funded to marry Hindu women to increase the former community's population, the shooter says, "Do you not have big cars? If they can take our sisters, can you not pick up their sisters? You don't even have to change your name. Save them from halal and hijab. Bring them to the sanatan dharma with respect."

He ended his speech by raising the slogan, "Jab Mulle Kate Jayenge..." And the crowd cheered, "Ram Ram Chilayenge".

“An FIR has been registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused has been mentioned by name in the complaint we have received.”

Varun Singla, DCP Manesar to The Quint

The FIR has been filed on the complaint by a resident of Jamalpur village in Gurugram.

After he was arrested over the Jamia incident, the Delhi Police had said that he is a minor and will be treated as per the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Board. In an undated video recorded with Dasna temple Chief Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, who is known to be regularly making communally provocative speeches, the shooter had said that he turned 18 in April 2020. DCP Manesar said he is yet to confirm his correct age and it will be a matter of investigation.

After media reports pointed out that his social media posts calling and boasting of violence violated community guidelines on those platforms, his Twitter account was temporarily suspended. His Instagram account was also inactive for a few hours. But, he is back on both the platforms now although he has taken down the contentious posts from his Instagram profile.