A student was arrested in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, allegedly for a social media post supporting the now-suspended BJP official Nupur Sharma’s inflammatory remark about the prophet Mohammed, police said on Saturday. The woman, a first-year student, was said to have posted the message on social media on Friday evening, they said.
To demand her arrest, violent protests broke out in the Beldanga neighborhood where she lives, with rioters attacking her home, a police officer said. The protesters also attacked the Beldanga police station and started throwing rocks at police personnel, he said.
Police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd, he added. “After we received a written complaint from them, we arrested her. The necessary investigations are underway,” the police officer told PTI. Police say they have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the violence. Searches are underway to track down those behind the attacks, the officer said.
The girl was brought before a court on Saturday, which sent her into custody for up to five days. Following the violence, internet services in the Beldanga 1 block, which covers the Beldanga police station, and the Beldanga 2 block, which covers the Rejinagar and Shaktipur police stations, were suspended until 6 AM on 14 June.
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