By Chandan Haygunde , Soham Shah
Along with the Pune city police, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence agencies have joined the probe in the case where a 19-year-old student was arrested for an Instagram comment ending with “Pakistan Zindabad”.
The Pune-based Sinhgad Academy of Engineering rusticated the student, identified as Khadeeja Shaikh, a resident of Kondhwa, with immediate effect on Friday, when an FIR was registered against her, said the college’s principal, Dr Kishor Patil.
The rustication letter issued to Shaikh stated, “While this Institution recognizes the right to free expression, it also expects students to exercise such rights responsibly and within the bounds of the law. Your posts, which were made from a publicly identifiable account linked to you, have been deemed to undermine the reputation of the college and may incite disharmony within the campus community and society.”
Senior Police Inspector Vinay Patankar said a court has remanded the woman in police custody for five days for further investigation.
Police sources said that ATS and NIA officials also investigated the woman to find out if she had been radicalised or associated with any suspicious groups. Her social media posts and accounts were checked thoroughly and no association with any extremist outfits was found, they said, adding that the investigation was going on.
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