Techie held for bid to spread communal hatred

The police arrested three others along with Qureshi but they were released on bail. Qureshi has been arrested under Section 153 (a) of IPC for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion,Section 177 (furnishing false information) and Sections 3 and 7 of Public Property Defacement Act.

Police inspector Rajendra Joshi of the special wing said in the court,“Qureshi is providing false information. We have recovered a CD and posters from him that were printed in Bangalore. He first told us that he got the posters from Rajasthan. We are investigating where all he has travelled and its purpose,” he said.

“Qureshi has been in touch with a foreign country. We want to go into the roots of the matter,for which we need to take him to Bangalore. We need to keep him in custody to know about the sources of his funds,” he said.

PFI general secretary K M Shareef told The Indian Express over phone from Bangalore that they had given him the posters ahead of the Babri demolition anniversary. “We have launched a nationwide poster campaign against the culprits of Babri Masjid demolition. Qureshi is our convener for Mahrashtra,” Shareef said.

According to Shareef,there is nothing anti-national or anti-constitutional in the content of the posters. “It is our constitutional right to demand the arrests of those involved in Babri demolition,” he said. Shareef said the PFI has been an active social organistaion for the last 20 years. “We have no links with any Pakistani outfit,” he said.

Qureshi has been staying with his sister and mother in a rented house at Gulamali Nagar in Hadapsar for the past one year. His sister Asma said,“The police have falsely implicated my brother.”