Gurugram: The Gurugram cyber police have arrested Shaurya Mishra, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM) from Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly sharing inflammatory and misleading content on social media on a Muslim girl’s rape and murder—which never happened.
Sandeep Singh, spokesperson of the Gurugram police, told ThePrint that Mishra posted objectionable images along with false claims about an alleged murder involving a young woman from Gurugram. The post claimed that a Muslim youth had raped and murdered a Hindu girl, describing the incident in communally divisive terms.
The Gurugram cyber crime police station registered a case after the post went viral on social media platforms, triggering concerns about potential law and order issues. Investigators found that the images shared were obscene and the accompanying text contained false and fabricated information allegedly designed to inflame communal tensions.
“The accused deliberately misrepresented facts and used inappropriate content to spread hatred on religious lines. Such posts can create serious disturbances in society, and the police take these matters very seriously,” said the police spokesperson.
A police team travelled to Uttar Pradesh and apprehended Mishra, bringing him back to Gurugram for questioning. He has been charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act for spreading fake news, sharing obscene content, and promoting enmity between different groups.
He was produced before a local court by the police Tuesday, and sent to a judicial lock-up.
Shaurya Mishra, whose social media X handle describes him as an advocate and district vice president of the BJYM, had shared the post on 9 December.
On 11 December, Gurugram police wrote in the comment section of this post that no such incident had occurred in Gurugram. “The facts being circulated are completely false. Legal action may be taken for spreading false news,” the comments by the police warned.
However, the post was not deleted.
ThePrint contacted Varun Goel, general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Goel sought a few hours to confirm Mishra’s official position in the BJYM and Wednesday evening he confirmed that Shaurya Mishra was vice president of the BJYM in the Kaushambi district of UP.
Mishra’s official X handle shows that he has been posting multiple posts, often 30 to 40, every day and almost all posts target people from a particular religion or are aimed at spreading rumours.
Providing details of the case, the Gurugram police spokesperson told ThePrint that on 11 December, a person submitted a written complaint to the Cyber Crime Police Station West, Gurugram, stating that an individual had posted objectionable content on social media/Twitter in a manner that disturbed social and religious harmony. On the basis of the complaint received, a case was registered.
“Under the leadership of Priyanshu Diwan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cyber crime), Gurugram, a police team led by Inspector Sandeep Kumar, Station House Officer, Cyber Crime Police Station West, Gurugram, took action and successfully apprehended the accused on 15 December from Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh) for posting objectionable content from a Twitter account in the above-mentioned case, which hurt religious and social sentiments. The accused has been identified as Hariom Mishra alias Shaurya Mishra (aged 25 years, LLB), resident of village Charwa, district Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh),” the spokesperson said.
He added that during police interrogation, it was revealed that the accused is a resident of village Charwa, Kaushambi district of UP. While using social media, he came across a post, which he copied and reposted, despite knowing that the post was objectionable and would hurt social and religious sentiments.
He said that the police team has seized one mobile phone used in the commission of the offence from the accused.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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