BENGALURU: While the Indian security agencies have launched a major crackdown against the sympathisers of the Jaish-e-Mohammed after the Pulwama attack, the Bengaluru city police commissioner’s office, the cyber crime cell and the social media accounts of the police were flooded with calls seeking action against one Aabid Malik, who had posted derogatory comments against the Army on Facebook.

Malik, according to his social media profile, works with a private company in Bengaluru. An FIR was registered against him at HAL police station on Friday evening on sedition charges among others.

After preliminary investigation, police found that Aabid Malik is from Jammu and Kashmir and indeed studied and worked in Bengaluru. However, it’s been a year since he reportedly moved back to Jammu. “We have traced his location to Jammu and he is no longer in the city. We are investigating into the content on his Facebook post which showed the Indian Army in bad taste and celebrated the dastardly attack,” an investigating officer said.

According to a senior officer from the police station, the FIR was registered based on the complaint from one Girish Bharadwaj.

The police commissioner’s office, meanwhile, confirmed that there have been hundreds of emails and Twitter posts tagging them and asking for quick action against Aabid Malik after his Facebook profile claimed that he is a former student of Bangalore University and works at a private company located in Domlur.

“We received more than 150 calls and emails and Twitter tag of handles from morning. We have passed on the information to the cyber crime department to investigate further. Meanwhile, his Facebook post has been pulled down,” said a senior police officer.

According to sources in the Intelligence department, such accounts are being scrutinised strictly. “Many of them are using this attack to further pollute young minds in pushing Islamic propaganda and showing the Indian armed forces in bad light,” said a source.

The sections Aabid Malik has been booked under are Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with the offence of promoting disharmony, enmity or feelings of hatred between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and Section 124A (sedition) where any words written or spoken or visual representation brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government.