Now Reading: Karnataka man arrested for plotting unrest with foreign contact
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Karnataka man arrested for plotting unrest with foreign contact
Karnataka police have arrested a 24-year-old tea-stall owner, Mohammed Sahil, in Raichur after tracking his contacts with a social media handle called 'Rana Bhai'. The operator of the account, which police say…
The Story in Brief
Karnataka police have arrested a 24-year-old tea-stall owner, Mohammed Sahil, in Raichur after tracking his contacts with a social media handle called 'Rana Bhai'. The operator of the account, which police say is based in an Arab nation, allegedly offered Sahil money and a pistol to create unrest in India. The Social Media Monitoring Cell flagged Sahil's activity after he messaged the account on Instagram on July 14, asking if a pistol could be arranged.
According to the FIR, the account shared a WhatsApp number and Sahil saved it under the name 'Rana Bhai'. The person repeatedly encouraged him to foment trouble, and Sahil shared a photo of his tea stall. Raichur SP Arunangshu Giri said some messages were 'highly provocative and hateful' and aimed at creating inter-community rivalry. An investigation is underway to identify the person behind the 'Rana Bhai' accounts.
The Indian Opinion
The case is already being used to stoke fears of a foreign hand behind every local grievance, but the only hard evidence so far is a tea-stall owner's WhatsApp chats. The narrative that one Instagram account can radicalise a lone individual ignores the fact that police themselves say Sahil initiated the request for a pistol. The real test will be whether the investigators can identify 'Rana Bhai' and prove the person offered tangible support beyond provocative messages. If they cannot, this remains a smaller story of online bravado than some would claim.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
