On January 10, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, granted permission to prosecute Shehla Rashid, former student leader of Jawaharlal Nehru University and member of All India Students Association (AISA), a left-wing student organisation. She will be charged under section 196 of CrPC, 1973, for her tweets against the Indian Army. In a statement, Delhi LG’s office said, “Delhi LG VK Saxena grants prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid, ex-Vice President of JNUSU & member of AISA, for making two tweets about the Indian Army aimed at promoting enmity between different groups & indulging in acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.”
Delhi LG VK Saxena grants prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid, ex-Vice President of JNUSU & member of AISA, for making 2 tweets about the Indian Army aimed at promoting enmity between different groups & indulging in acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony: LG Office
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2023
A case was filed against Shehla Rashid in 2019 after she claimed in her tweets that the Indian Armed Forces were “entering houses” and “picking up boys” in Jammu and Kashmir. The first tweet read, “Armed Forces are entering houses at night, picking up boys, ransacking houses, deliberately spilling rations on the floor, mixing oil with rice, etc.” The tweets were made after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
In the second tweet, she wrote, “In Shopian, 04 men were called into the Army Camp and ‘interrogated’ (tortured). A mic was kept close to them so that the entire area could hear them scream and be terrorised. This created an environment of fear in the entire area.”
The tweets were made as a part of a tweet thread on August 18, 2019, which is still live on the social media platform Twitter. Notably, the Indian Army had denied the allegations levelled by Rashid. In a statement, the Indian Army said, “Allegations levelled by Shehla Rashid are baseless and rejected. Such unverified and fake news is spread by inimical elements and organisations to incite unsuspecting population.”
Subsequently, a complaint was filed against Rashid by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava seeking her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against the government and the Indian Army.
अपने ट्वीट के द्वारा भारतीय सेना पे निराधार आरोप लगाने, देश में हिंसा/दंगा भड़काने का प्रयास करने और भारत की छवि अंतरराष्ट्रीय पटल पे कमज़ोर करने के आरोप में @Shehla_Rashid के ख़िलाफ आज मैंने दिल्ली पुलिस में FIR Complaint दर्ज कराई है। ज़रूरत पड़ने पे मैं न्यायालय भी जाऊँगा। pic.twitter.com/iFNG1mCCNa
— Alakh Alok Srivastava (@advocate_alakh) August 19, 2019
In his complaint, he said that she has, prima facie committed an offence of sedition under Section 124-A of IPC. It also says that Rashid has further committed offences of ‘promoting enmity between the classes’ under Sections 153, 153-A, 504, and 505 of IPC.
In September 2019, Alakh said an FIR was registered.
हमारी महान भारतीय सेना पे झूठे आरोप लगाने वाली @Shehla_Rashid के ख़िलाफ मैंने जो शिकायत दर्ज करायी थी, उसमें – दिल्ली पुलिस ने शहला राशिद के ख़िलाफ देशद्रोह की FIR दर्ज कर ली है। शहला की गिरफ़्तारी कभी भी हो सकती है। जय हिंद।
— Alakh Alok Srivastava (@advocate_alakh) September 6, 2019
FIR No. 0152/2019 u/s 124-A, 153-A, 153, 504, 505 IPC pic.twitter.com/fKDvffyLnX
In July 2021, Alakh wrote on Twitter that he was informed by the Delhi Police that they had sought sanction from the Arvind Kejriwal government for filing Chargesheet against Rashid.
Today Delhi Police informed me that @DelhiPolice has sought sanction from @ArvindKejriwal Govt for filing Chargesheet against Shehla Rashid in my FIR
— Alakh Alok Srivastava (@advocate_alakh) July 17, 2021
On my complaint, an FIR was registered against her for Sedition, Inciting Violence & Making False Allegations against Indian Army pic.twitter.com/feE23o6P8J
Following the permission granted by the LG, Alakh said, “Delhi LG grants prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid in my 2019 FIR registered against her. Though belated, I welcome this decision. I hope she gets the most stringent punishment for spreading fake news & for inciting violence against our Indian Army & it acts as a deterrent.”
Delhi LG grants prosecution sanction against #ShehlaRashid in my 2019 FIR registered against her.
— Alakh Alok Srivastava (@advocate_alakh) January 10, 2023
Though belated, I welcome this decision.
I hope she gets most stringent punishment for spreading fake news & for inciting violence against our Indian Army & it acts as a deterrent. pic.twitter.com/sxAsavVL2e
I welcome this decision of Delhi LG. Certainly, I want she should be awarded the most stringent punishment. It should also be a lesson to others who indulge in similar acts like spreading fake news against Indian Army and inciting violence against Indian Army.
