Four booked in UP for sedition over hoisting ‘Pakistan flag’

The two families have told the police that they had put up religious flags, which were mistaken for the Pakistan flag, said Gorakhpur Additional Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Awasthi. They removed the religious flags once social media posts claiming that they were Pakistan flags started doing the rounds.

No Pakistan flag was found during a search of the two houses, the police said. The families handed over to the police four flags, which they said had been mistaken for the Pakistan flag.

Gorakhpur SSP Vipin Tada said the police were investigating the matter. Also, they were verifying the writing in Urdu found on one of the flags handed over to them.

Police said businessmen Talim, Pappu, Ashiq and his brother Asif were booked after an FIR was lodged under IPC Section 124-A at Chauri Chaura police station. No arrest has been made so far.

Complainant Kalyan Pandey, president of Brahmin Jan Kalyan Samiti outfit, said, “People came to know about the matter when photographs showing Pakistan flags on the rooftop of houses went viral [on Wednesday] on social media. We informed the police and went to the area.” SSP Tada said, “We will see if the houses in the photographs are of the persons named in the FIR.” Police said they were also looking for those who posted the imageson social media websites.

SHO of Chauri Chaura police station Shyam Bahadur Singh said a police team reached Nirala Lane area after they were informed that a group was protesting outside two houses and pelting them with stones. A four-wheeler belonging to one of the families was damaged in stone pelting, said Singh. The matter was resolved after police lodged the FIR. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area.