Hyderabad: A man was arrested by Saifabad police for allegedly harassing an interfaith couple at Hyderabad’s Necklace Road and posting a video of the same on social media.
According to a police press note, the man has been identified as Mohammed Raheel who works as a Rapido driver.
The incident occurred on July 29, and a case was registered the next day. According to the police complaint, when the complainant, an IT employee, and his female colleague, a Muslim, were on their way home, the accused approached them on his two-wheeler and started recording them.
He questioned the woman for being with a man from a different religion while wearing a hijab. He then started threatening them and using abusive language before physically assaulting both individuals.
The accused then snatched the complainant’s helmet and threw it on him. The victims then tried to flee on their bike but the accused followed them while recording them till Himayat Nagar.
The video was then posted on social media and circulated widely. After the investigation, the police were able to apprehend the accused from Charminar.
The two-wheeler and mobile phone of the accused have been seized by the police and he has been charged under sections 196, 74, 79, 352, 115(1), 126(2),131, 351(3) BNS and section 67 of the IT Act and has been sent for judicial remand.
Public advisory
The police have called the incident a ‘serious breach of dignity and privacy’ and added that such actions can potentially incite communal violence and disturb harmony in the society.
The police have emphasised that no person or group has the authority to moral police others, harass individuals based on their personal choices, or portray such actions as justified under any communal or ideological pretext.
They have warned that such acts are criminal in nature and will be dealt with strictly, irrespective of the identity or affiliation of the offender.
The public has been advised not to share, forward, or react to such videos or communal content, even in outrage or criticism. Doing so will amke the person legally liable for aiding the spread of illegal or inflammatory material.
If one comes across such content, they are requested report it to police rather than amplifying it.
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