Strap: Mamman Khan sent to 2-day police remand
After being arrested late on Thursday night in connection with the July 31 communal violence in Nuh, Congress MLA Mamman Khan on Friday was produced before a court in Nuh which sent him to a two-day police remand. Khan faces charges of instigating communal clashes in Nuh during a procession on July 31 in which six people were killed.
The Congress MLA was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana Police late Thursday night after his bail application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court was rejected.
A few hours after his arrest, the Haryana government on Friday ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in the district for two days to prevent “the spread of misinformation and rumours”. A government order in this regard does not mention anything about Khan’s arrest though. “This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of Nuh district and shall be in force with effect from September 15 (10am) to September 16 midnight,” says the order issued by the home department's additional chief secretary TVSN Prasad.
Prasad said the decision was taken after the Nuh deputy commissioner wrote to him on Thursday expressing apprehension there could be tension, agitation, damage of public and private property, and disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the district. The additional chief secretary agreed there is a clear potential of disruption of public utilities, damage to assets and amenities and disturbance of law and order in Nuh on account of misuse of internet services. He said inflammatory material and rumours are being or could be circulated through social media and messaging services through internet, SMS and dongle services.
“In order to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Twitter, etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for the facilitation and mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities, the mobile internet has been suspended,” he said.
“...I do hereby order the suspension of the mobile internet services(2G/3G/4G/5G/CDMA/GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except the voice calls in the jurisdiction of Nuh district,” Prasad’s order reads. He emphasised the order was being issued after taking utmost care of public convenience by exempting individual SMS, mobile recharge, banking SMS, voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and domestic households.
This ensures commercial and financial interest of the state and basic domestic needs of individuals are not affected, the order said.