Police said that messages “disrespecting the national flag and symbol were being created and shared on the group”.(Image: Reuters)

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Baghpat Wednesday after he was found to be the administrator of a WhatsApp group in which “anti-national messages” were being shared, police said.

The FIR against the accused, identified as Naeem (25), was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Deepak Bamnauli, vice-president of the Hindu Jagran Manch’s district unit, at Doghat police station.

Police said the accused had added around 30 Muslim youths from Baghpat to the group, and that it also had several “Pakistan-based” numbers. They said that messages “disrespecting the national flag and symbol were being created and shared on the group”.

“After going through the objectionable posts on the WhatsApp group, I met Baghpat SP Shailesh Pandey and requested him to probe the issue as regular posts were leading to resentment in the Hindu community in Baghpat. He directed the Doghat police to lodge the FIR and within four hours, Naeem who runs a Jan Sewa Kendra in Palda village, was arrested,” Bamnauli said.

“Naeem was arrested from his residence under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, as well as Section 66 of the IT (Amendment) Act,” said Chitwan Kumar, in-charge of Doghat police station.