A pharmacy student at a private college in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad was on Saturday booked on sedition charges for an alleged WhatsApp status in which he praised Pakistan, in the wake of the Pulwama attack. At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed when a suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed group ran his vehicle into their bus in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.

When the WhatsApp status went viral, members of a Hindutva group allegedly barged into the Moradabad Institute of Technology armed with guns and iron rods, firing in the air, The Times of India reported.

They also demanded custody of the student, Mujassam. However, the college called the police, following which Mujassam was booked on sedition charges and arrested. The first information report against Mujassam was registered based on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rohit Kumar, police officer Sudhir Pal Rana said.

“We checked all the accounts and the status of the student on WhatsApp,” Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar said. “But it seems he has deleted and changed his status. We have asked the cyber cell officials to retrieve the deleted data of the student.”

Kumar also told The Times of India that the police will take stringent action against those who opened fire in the college.

Student arrested in Bengaluru for praising suicide bomber

A 23-year-old engineering college student from Kashmir, living in Bengaluru, was arrested on Friday for allegedly putting up a WhatsApp status in favour of Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dhar, and calling him a “brave martyr”, the Bangalore Mirror reported.

Tahir Lathif has been booked for sedition and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The police said Lathif had posted a photo with a message praising Dhar on WhatsApp, and a status which wished him a place in heaven. He had allegedly also posted messages on social media with the hashtag #ShaheedAdilBhai.

Student suspended in Dehradun college

A Kashmiri student of the Dehradun-based Shridev Suman Subharti University was suspended on Friday after he allegedly mocked the Indian Army on a WhatsApp group. Members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad surrounded the college after Kaisar Rashid’s post went viral, and demanded that the student be arrested.

“We are doing an internal investigation into the matter, and until then, the student has been asked not to enter the university,” Shridev Suman Subharti University Director Atul Krishna said.

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Nivedita Kukreti, said that the police are investigating the source of the WhatsApp chat. She said Rashid is absconding. “Police have been deployed at the university to maintain law and order,” she added.