The Democratic Students Association condemned Rejaz’s arrest as political vendetta, demanding his release and linking the action to his social media posts criticising “Israel Model” calls post-Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor
Published May 12, 2025 | 10:55 PM ⚊ Updated May 12, 2025 | 10:55 PM
Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek.
Synopsis: With a day left in police custody for Kerala-based activist and journalist Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, Maharashtra Police intensified its probe, conducting a search at his Kochi home alongside ATS. Rejaz faces multiple cases, including for protesting against house demolitions in Kashmir and alleged wrongful detentions post the Kalamassery blast, which left eight dead and over 50 injured
With just a day left before the completion of the five-day police custody of Kerala-based left-wing activist and independent journalist Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, the Maharashtra Police appears to have intensified its investigation efforts.
On Sunday evening, a team from Maharashtra, along with the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), conducted a search at Rejaz’s residence in Kirti Nagar near Elamakkara, Kochi. The police also questioned his family and reportedly gathered details about previous cases registered against him in Kerala.
In late April, the Kochi Police had booked Rejaz and nine others for staging a protest at Panampilly Nagar against the demolition of houses belonging to alleged terrorists in Kashmir.
The protest, held without police permission, led to the registration of a case.
Another case had been filed by the Vadakara Police following allegations about the wrongful detention of Muslim youths in connection with the Kalamassery blast, which killed eight people and injured over 50 during a Jehovah’s Witnesses’ convention. Dominic Martin from Thammanam was named the sole accused in that incident.
Rejaz, a 26-year-old resident of Edappally in Ernakulam district, was arrested in Nagpur on 8 May while returning to Kerala from Delhi after attending a press conference organised by the ‘Campaign Against State Repression’ (CASR) on World Press Freedom Day.
The event had demanded the release of incarcerated journalists across India. He was taken into custody along with a friend, Isha Kumari, a local resident, who was later released.
According to the FIR, Rejaz was accused of making social media posts critical of Operation Sindoor and Operation Kagaar, both anti-Maoist offensives. The police claimed he had written “Indian Army Murdabad” in an Instagram post condemning the operations in Chhattisgarh, amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The case against him includes charges under multiple sections of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including for unlawful assembly, fabricating evidence, and inciting violence. The FIR further states that during a search, authorities recovered three books — He Who Defied Death: Life and Times of Prof. GN Saibaba, The Great Legacy of Marxism-Leninism, and Only People Make Their Own History — alongside a T-shirt featuring Rejaz in a photograph posing with two guns, the authenticity of which remains unclear.
The Maharashtra Police has also alleged that Rejaz was in contact with individuals engaged in anti-national activities and linked him to banned CPI (Maoist) factions. They claim he served as a keynote speaker at the CASR programme in Delhi, which the police labelled a Maoist front organisation.
In their submission to the court, police sought custody to further investigate his alleged Maoist links, how he procured the weapon seen in the photograph, his recent movements, and his network of contacts. Officials claimed he had been residing in Nagpur for the past three days before his arrest and was listed as a Maoist sympathiser by the Maharashtra State Intelligence Bureau.
Following his arrest, the Democratic Students Association (DSA), with which Rejaz is affiliated, condemned the police action, alleging political vendetta. The association demanded his immediate release, calling it a targeted attack on dissenting voices. They linked his arrest to social media posts where he criticised calls for an “Israel Model Solution” in Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
DSA also alleged that Rejaz was arrested for participating in a solidarity gathering titled “Being Kashmiri Is Not a Crime,” organised by Friends of Palestine in Kochi. Eight activists, including Rejaz, were reportedly arrested in connection with the event.
Speaking to South First on 9 May, DSA state convener Muhammed Haneen said, “Rejaz is our state committee member. He completed his MSW from the Central University of Kerala and is a journalist and activist. He’s being branded a Maoist and anti-national for speaking about Kashmir and the rights of fellow citizens. We will fight this legally.”
While the DSA has initiated legal proceedings to secure his bail, Rejaz’s family has reportedly decided against pursuing separate legal action. The association criticised Sunday’s raid at Rejaz’s home, calling on the public to resist what it described as a witch hunt against activists.
The police had initially sought 14 days of custody, but the court granted five, which ends on 13 May.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
