Former CPS arrested in sedition case

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh police on Friday arrested Congress leader and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Neeraj Bharti in connection with a sedition case filed against him for posting objectionable contents on his social media account Facebook.

Bharti's post was related to killing of 20 Indian soldiers in the deadly conflict with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the China on Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh's Galwan valley.

The case was registered against him by the CID wing of the state police on the basis of a complaint filed by advocate Narender Guleria, who alleged that Bharti had posted three messages on Facebook within 24 hours after the martyrdom of the Indian soldiers wherein he blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi of getting these jawan killed to win Bihar elections.

Bharti's post described the killing as murders for which Prime Minister was to blame.

The police had registered FIR No. 20/2020 u/s 124 A, 153 A, 504, 505 IPC at Police Station Crime Branch, CID Shimla on June 20 terming the contents as anti-national and objectionable as par complaint.

A police spokesman confirming the arrest said "Bharti was summoned for examination at Police Station (Crime Branch CID ) Shimla on June 24 and was examined for three days on various aspects relating to the case. Today, he was arrested in the case for investigation."

He will be produced before the court on Saturday, the police said.

Meanwhile, Bharti's father and former Congress minister Chander Kumar condemned the police action and described it as unlawful.