Palghar, Maharashtra: Three individuals have been arrested in Nalasopara for allegedly engaging in acts that threatened India's sovereignty, integrity, and unity.
On the evening of April 25, around 6:30 pm, a protest was being held outside the Deep Heights building near Yashwant Gaurav in Nalasopara West. The protest was organized to condemn the terrorist attack that had taken place in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. As part of the demonstration, protestors had used the Pakistan flag, marked with the word "Pakistan," as a symbolic protest against terrorism.
According to the complaint filed by Mahendra Kumar Moraji Mali, a 44-year-old local resident, the three accused individuals, Usman Gani Iqbal Sayyed (28), Tausheed Azad Shaikh (21), and Adnan Afsar Shaikh (22), all residents of Nalasopara West, approached the protest site, forcibly removed the flags, and verbally abused him. Despite attempts to explain the difference between the Pakistan flag and the flag of the Muslim community, the trio allegedly persisted in opposing the display of the flags.
The complainant stated that the accused, despite understanding the context, intentionally disrupted the protest and acted in a way that appeared to support the terrorist act, thereby allegedly threatening the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
Following the complaint, the Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police registered a case against the trio for provocation, attempting to disturb public peace, and hurting religious sentiments. They were taken into custody on April 26, an official from the Nalasopara police station confirmed.
The police invoked sections 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Authorities emphasized that any attempt to disrupt public peace, particularly acts that threaten national integrity, will be dealt with firmly and in accordance with the law.
