Telangana youth held for stoking communal tension in Sangareddy district

A case was also registered against three members of the mob — Shiva Sharanappa, Srikanth Patil, and Hari Narayana Patil — for assaulting the young man.

Also read: People held for mosque attack in Gajwel

The incident

Shiva Sharanappa, a farmer, said he was near a  Ram temple around 8.30 pm on Monday, 22 January, Chillargi villagers Srikanth Patil and Hari Narayana Patil informed him of the derogatory post on Instagram.

They showed him the video and identified the person as his villager, Abbas Ali, son of Mohammed Rasool.

Ali would later say he and his friend Akash posted the video around 7 pm on Monday. He was apparently seen in the video tucking a flag with religious connotations into his trousers.

The locals, incensed by the actions seen in the video, thrashed Ali two days later — on Wednesday.

Incidentally, this was the second communal incident in Sangareddy. Tension gripped the district earlier this month after a shoe was flung at a religious procession taken out to celebrate the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

Also Read: Communal tensions on Ram Temple consecration day in Telangana

Peace meeting held

“It was a disturbing incident and the accused was thrashed naked by the time cops reached the scene. The accused, Abbas Ali, has been arrested,” Sangareddy Superintendent of Police (SP) CH Rupesh told South First.

Rupesh said the accused would be produced before a court. He held a peace meeting with villagers on Wednesday night and warned of stringent action against those promoting communal hatred.

The SP also said action would be initiated against administrators of WhatsApp groups peddling fake messages and videos.

The police officer further advised people not to give credence to rumours. He also asked people to forward social media messages only after ascertaining facts.

He added that people of all religions should maintain a sense of brotherhood and celebrate festivals regardless of caste and religion. The district surveillance system and special task force teams are monitoring the area.