Hyderabad: A Muslim man from the Charminar area has been arrested for allegedly ‘moral policing’ and assaulting a Hindu man and a Muslim woman spending time on NTR Marg near the Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad, Hyderabad Police said Saturday.
The police have identified the accused as Mohammed Raheel, a 24-year-old driver working with Rapido.
On 29 July, Raheel took umbrage that C. Neeraj, a 24-year-old IT employee, was accompanied by his Muslim colleague, who was wearing a hijab. He allegedly started filming them on his mobile phone, violating their privacy, and later, he circulated the video on social media. He also started abusing and threatening the duo with dire consequences, and then physically assaulted them, the police said. Neeraj and the woman were forced to flee the spot, but Raheel allegedly followed close behind and further intimidated the duo by continuing to record them on his phone until they reached the nearby Himayatnagar area.
Neeraj lodged a police complaint on 30 July, after which the police arrested Raheel from the Old City.
K. Shilpavalli, deputy commissioner of police (central zone), Hyderabad Police, said that investigations showed that Raheel deliberately shared the video to provoke communal sentiments, invade personal privacy, and promote divisive narratives.
“The individual who recorded and transmitted the video has been arrested. Relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act have been invoked; further investigation is ongoing, including identifying those managing and promoting such social media accounts,” said the DCP in a statement.
Raheel allegedly disseminated the video on social media, including Instagram and X, and it rapidly gained widespread attention on the platforms.
“This exposure has heightened the risk of potential attacks on the victims, posing a threat to them and their family members from communally motivated individuals,” stated the DCP after Raheel’s arrest.
Raheel has been booked under sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman), 79 (insult of a woman’s modesty), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 115(1) (voluntarily causing harm), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 131 (assault or criminal force), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS, and Section 67 of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).
The DCP, in her statement, warned the general public against indulging in such acts or disturbing social harmony in Hyderabad. “Let it be made absolutely clear: 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. Such acts are criminal in nature and will be dealt with strictly, irrespective of the identity or affiliation of the offender,” she added.
The police also warned people from forwarding, or reacting to such videos or communal content, “even in outrage or criticism”. Anyone found indulging in such acts will be liable for aiding the spread of illegal or inflammatory material, the police added.
“Issues concerning interfaith relationships, societal norms, or community sensitivities require thoughtful handling—not sensationalism,” added the DCP in her statement.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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