New Delhi: In a major development, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Tuesday sanctioned the prosecution of former JNU Students’ Union Vice President and AISA member Shehla Rashid Shora for her objectionable tweet against the Indian Army. The Lieutenant Governor’s office said on Tuesday that Shehla Rashid’s two tweets were intended to promote enmity between different groups and indulge in acts prejudicial to maintaining harmony. The LG’s office confirmed that they have granted prosecution sanction under the relevant section 196 of CrPC 1973.
A proposal to this effect was brought by the Delhi Police and supported by the Home Department, GNCTD, had submitted the following facts, “On 18.08.2019, a Kashmir resident, Shehla Rashid made two tweets about the Indian Army:-
“Armed forces are entering houses at night, lifting boys, ransacking houses, deliberately dropping rations on the floor, mixing oil with rice, etc” on 18.08.2019 at 12.00 noon and ,
“In Shopian, 04 people were called to the army camp and ‘interrogated’ (tortured). A mike was kept near them so that the whole area could hear their screams and get terrorised. This created an atmosphere of fear in the whole area “18.08.2019 at 12.00 Noon.”
However, the Indian Army had given a statement that the allegations made by Shehla Rashid were baseless and rejected them. The Indian Army had said, “Such unverified and fake news is spread by hostile elements and organizations to incite people.” After the incident, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava complained regarding the above tweet of Shehla Rashid.
The Home Department, GNCTD in its comments on the file has said that, “The nature of the matter, the place to which the tweet refers and the making of false allegations against the Army make it a serious issue. Not to proceed with each tweet, criminal under law. But in this case such tweets by the likes of Shehla Rashid require action against religious fault-lines in J&K. The case is made out for prosecution under section 153A of the IPC. This Gana belongs to the public.