Assam Writer Sikha Sarma In Facebook Post Allegedly Questions Soldiers Martyred In Chhattisgarh Attack; Arrested

Two Bharatiya Janata Party workers odged an FIR against the 48-year-old writer Sikha Sarma for her alleged social media post on security forces martyred during a fierce gun battle in Chhattisgarh.

Sikha Sarma/Facebook

An Assam-based writer Sikha Sarma has been arrested on charges of sedition for her alleged social media post on security forces martyred during a fierce gun battle in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district last week.

According to reports, two Bharatiya Janata Party workers --Umi Deka Baruah and Kangkana Goswami -- lodged an FIR against the 48-year-old writer. Acting upon the complaint, the Guwahati city police summoned Sarma for interrogation and later arrested her.

A case has been registered at Dispur police station under Sections 124A (sedition), 294A (keeping lottery office), 500 (defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) along with Section 45 (residuary penalty) of IT Act.

Taking to her Facebook account, Sarma on Monday allegedly wrote, "Salaried professionals who die in the line of duty can’t be termed 'martyrs'. Going by that logic, the workers of the electricity department who die of electrocution should also be labelled martyrs. Do not make people sentiment, media."

Guwahati Police Commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta confirmed the development saying, she was arrested last night and today we produced her before the Kamrup (Metro) district court. We did not seek police custody. She has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody."

On Saturday, April 3, a fierce gun battle broke out between security forces and Naxals along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh. In the incident, 22  security personnel lost their lives, 32 others were left injured while 1 commando is missing.