A journalist and a two others were booked on Saturday by the Karnataka Police in Kodagu district for allegedly morphing a video to show that Muslim women were shouting “Pakistan zindabad [Long live Pakistan]” slogan, reported The News Minute.
The journalist, who is the prime accused, has been identified as Harish. One of the other two accused persons is a local gram panchayat member named Raghu.
Parashiva Murthy, an inspector at the Shanivarasanthe police station told The News Minute that the original video was shot on November 12 when family members of a Muslim man, who is in custody, had gathered outside the police station. The family was demanding his release, claiming he was innocent. During the protest, women shouted “Ambedkar zindabad” slogans.
The accused persons allegedly morphed the video, replacing “Ambedkar zindabad” with “Pakistan zindabad”. They had then used the video to call for a shutdown on November 15 in Shanivarasanthe, claiming that Hindus living in the town were being oppressed.
The third accused person in the case, Gireesha, had allegedly shared the morphed video on several WhatsApp groups with a message.
It read: “People from the Muslim community have shouted Pakistan zindabad in front of the Shanivarasanthe police station. The police must arrest and register a case against these anti nationals.”
The first information report in the case stated that the video and the statements of the accused persons “disturbed the peace in society and could disrupt the law and order situation in the Shanivarasanthe police station limits”.
The accused have been booked under Sections 34 (criminal acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code.
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