Alleged pro-Islamic State (IS) Twitter account handler Mehdi Masroor Biswas, who was accused of having been in touch with ISIS combatants stationed in Iraq, was today chargesheeted for waging a war against the State and sedition.
Alleged pro-Islamic State (IS) Twitter account handler Mehdi Masroor Biswas, who was accused of having been in touch with ISIS combatants stationed in Iraq, was today chargesheeted for waging a war against the State and sedition.
"Yes, we have chargesheeted Biswas for waging a war against the State and supporting a terrorist organisation among other provisions under the law," Joint Police Commissioner M Chandrashekhar told PTI in Bengaluru.
Chandrashekhar said seven sections of Indian Penal Code have been invoked against Biswas, including 121 (Waging or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against Government of India) and 124-A (Sedition).
Police also have chargesheeted him under IPC Sections 125 (Waging war against any Asiatic Power that is in alliance with the Government of India) and 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language ... and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), Chandrashekhar said.
Apart from chargesheeting Biswas under IPC sections, police have booked him under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) and Information and Technology Act, he said.
"We have also chargesheeted Biswas under section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004. The law states the offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation," he said.
Section 66 F of ITA relating to punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service has also been invoked, Chandrashekhar said.
The 44-page chargesheet with 36,986 pages of detailed investigation report was submitted to the city special court, the joint commissioner said.
The police have recovered 1,22,000 Twitter messages with over 18,000 followers, he said. Biswas (24) was arrested from his apartment in Jalahalli in December last.
Police had launched a manhunt for Biswas after Britain's Channel 4 News had aired the report on the presence of ISIS Twitter Ideologue @ShamiWitness in Bengaluru and arrested him from a rented apartment in the city.
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