The Delhi Police on Monday arrested Adarsh Sharma, the man who claimed to be president of Purvanchal Sena, in connection with the case registered against him over sticking posters in the city announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who "shoots dead" JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.
“Sharma has been arrested under charges of defacement of public property, abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment, public mischief, criminal intimidation and forgery,” said a senior police official, adding investigation is underway and more charges can be added in the case.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police had detained Sharma — who is from Kanhaiya’s hometown Begusarai in Bihar — for questioning at a police station.
On Saturday, posters announcing Rs11 lakh reward for shooting dead Kumar were seen found near the Press Club of India and bus stops and metro stations in New Delhi district. The poster said, “whosoever shoots JNU Students’ Union president and seditionist Kanhaiya will be rewarded Rs11 lakh on the behalf of Purvanchal Sena”.
The posters carried the mobile number and name of Sharma. On the same day, police registered a case of defacement of property and questioned one person, who was allegedly involved in sticking the posters on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. The other sections were added later in the FIR.
The case against Sharma was registered in Parliament Street police station and he was booked under IPC sections 116 (Abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment), 505 (Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour with intent to incite), 506 (Criminal intimidation if threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, Etc.), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record etc.)
“We are trying to identify the printing press where the posters were purportedly printed. Printing such posters that may create law and order issues in the city is a punishable offence and those responsible for this will be hauled up,” the police official said.
Sharma has just Rs150 in his bank account