Tripura Police Book 102 People Under UAPA Over Social Media Posts, Send Notices To Twitter, FB

The Tripura police sent notices to the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, USA, asking them to freeze the accounts of these 102 persons named under UAPA.

Activists of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) shout slogans against recent incidents of violence in Tripura state, during a protest in New Delhi on October 29, 2021. (Image: AFP)

The Tripura police booked 102 social media account holders under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), criminal conspiracy, and forgery charges for allegedly spreading misinformation about 'violence against Muslims' in the state. They also sent notices to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to obtain information about the accused persons, PTI reported. 

On October 26, a mosque was vandalized and two shops were burnt down in North Tripura’s Chamtila. These incidents allegedly had happened during a rally carried out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad following the communal violence in Bangladesh.  

Earlier this week, four Supreme Court lawyers were also booked by Tripura police under UAPA for spreading communal disharmony. 

The Tripura police sent notices to the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, USA, asking them to freeze the accounts of these 102 persons. 

"some persons/organizations are publishing/posting distorted and objectionable news items/statements in Twitter regarding the recent clash and alleged attack upon mosques of Muslim communities in the state. In publishing these news items/posts, the persons/organizations have been found using photographs/videos of some other incidents, fabricated statements/commentary for promoting enmity between religious groups/ communities in presence of a criminal conspiracy. The posts have the potential to flare up communal tension in Tripura state between people of different religious communities, which may result in communal riots," the notice served to the authorities of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube said as reported by PTI. 

An official informed that FIR's have been registered at the Agartala police station under IPC sections 153A (promoting disharmony or feelings of enemity), 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 469 (forgery), 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using as genuine a forged document), 503 (threatening), 504 (intentional insult) and section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

"All the 102 persons, against whom the notices were served were asked to appear before the police and clarify their position", an official told PTI.

These developments take place after Tripura saw a series of attacks on minority settlements and mosques on October 26. 'Three houses and a few shops, reportedly owned by Muslims, were ransacked in nearby Rowa Bazar,' the police said.