A left-wing activist and independent journalist from Kerala was arrested in Nagpur on Thursday for his social media posts critical of the government.
Rejaz M. Sheeba Sydeek (26), a resident of Edappally in Kerala, was arrested from a hotel room along with his friend for allegedly preparing to “wage war against the Government of India.” She was also arrested separately, police said.
In the past 10 days, this is the second FIR filed against Sydeek. On April 29, a case was registered against him and a few other journalists for participating in a pro-Kashmir protest in Kochi.
The FIR registered by the Nagpur police claims that Sydeek was arrested following intelligence inputs indicating he was staying in a hotel room in the city. A police team raided the hotel where he had checked in with a 24-year-old female friend from Bihar. However, Sydeek was produced alone before a magistrate court.
Among the materials seized from the hotel at the time of arrest were three books: He Who Defied Death: Life and Times of Prof. G.N. Saibaba, The Great Legacy of Marxism-Leninism: Lenin on the Socialist State, and Only People Make Their Own History. The police also seized a T-shirt in which Sydeek had allegedly posed in one of his social media posts, holding two guns.
Although the FIR does not specify whether the guns were fake or real, the police have applied Section 149 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for “collecting arms or other materials with the intention of waging war against the Government of India.” The maximum punishment under this section is life imprisonment. In the remand application, the police stated that his custody was needed to determine the source of the guns.
Other charges include Sections 192, 353(1)(b), 353(2), and 353(3) of the BNSS for “wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot” and “statements conducing to public mischief.”
The remand application also raises questions about Sydeek’s visit to Nagpur, stating, “He was in Nagpur for three days. The purpose of his visit needs to be investigated.”
The FIR also mentions another post in which he criticised the Indian Army’s Operation Sindoor. The police claimed that Sydeek wrote “Indian Army Murdabad” in the post. The Instagram post included a photo of a child with the message: “This is a child!!! Targeting kids is serving justice??? Indian Army Murdabad!!!”
The police further alleged that Sydeek condemned Operation Sindoor, along with Operation Kagaar, which has been underway in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.
Sydeek’s social media handle has been withheld in India.
Sydeek, affiliated with the Democratic Students Association, was visiting the city to meet a friend on his way back to Kerala from Delhi when he was arrested.
He was part of a press conference where he spoke about press freedom in the country and had gone to Delhi to attend a press conference organised by activists demanding the release of incarcerated journalists in India.
Activists associated with Sydeek have said the charges are serious, and no bailable sections have been applied to him.
