Three men have been arrested in Vadodara, Gujarat, for allegedly targeting interfaith couples, harassing them, and uploading videos of them on social media in order to cause enmity between religious groups. The matter came to light when a video of one such couple went viral on social media platform X. A probe by the police found that a gang that actively targeted such couples was behind it. The gang operated a WhatsApp group called "Army of Mahdi" and shared the videos there.
The three men arrested have been identified as Mustakim Sheikh, Burhan Saiyad, and Sahil Sheikh. They have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc., making statements conducive to public mischief, and disappearance of evidence.
The police said that the content shared by the gang could have led to mob lynchings and communal clashes. They added that the WhatsApp group had a network of members who operated across the city and kept a watch on interfaith couples.
The modus operandi of the gang was to keep a WhatsApp group active for three to four months and then delete it before starting a new group with several people as members. They also used the videos to blackmail the family members of the women involved.
"As per their modus operandi, they'd keep a WhatsApp group active for three months and then delete it before starting a new group with several people as its members. They also used the video to blackmail the family members of the woman," the senior police official said.
The police said that the arrested accused have admitted to targeting women from their own religion as a form of moral policing. They are also investigating whether the gang extorted money from the couples based on the videos.
"We have seized their mobile phones and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). We will try to recover the audio and videos. We will question all the members of the group," he said.
The police have appealed to anyone who has been harassed by the gang to come forward and record their statements. They have been assured that their identities will be kept secret.
The arrests have been welcomed by social activists, who have called for stricter action against such groups. They have also urged the government to take steps to prevent the spread of hate speech and misinformation on social media.
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