A police complaint has been filed by Delhi Police against actor Swara Bhaskar, Journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Asif Khan of Twitter India, and Twitter MD Manish Maheshwari over the Ghaziabad assault video about the attack on an elderly Muslim man.

The complaint was lodged by the advocate Amit Acharya. An FIR is yet to be lodged over the fresh complaint. Delhi Police has meanwhile launched a probe.   

The complaint seeks FIR against them all under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections 153(Provocation for rioting), 505 (mischief), 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).  Twitter has been accused of not removing “misleading” content relating to the incident in a case filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

In a video clip, which surfaced on social media on June 14, the elderly Muslim man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, is heard saying he was thrashed by some young men and asked to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.                   

 

Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad Police filed an FIR on Wednesday evening against local Samajwadi Party leader Ummed Pahalwan Idrisi for appearing in a Facebook live video with the elderly Muslim man, according to The Indian Express.

The case revolves around a video of Abdul Samad Saifi, 72, claiming that he was kidnapped in an autorickshaw by several men and held captive in a secluded house. Saifi claimed he was beaten up and made to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” He further said that the attackers shaved his beard and forced him to watch films of Muslims being attacked.

Even though the alleged assault occurred on June 5, a video of the attack and Saifi retelling it was widely circulated on social media on June 14. Six persons have been arrested as a result of the incident so far.