The Naigaon police in Maharashtra’s Vasai arrested a salon owner Thursday after a song containing pro-Pakistan slogans was allegedly played out loud on a speaker in his shop. A video of the incident was widely circulated soon after, triggering public outrage.
Officers identified the accused as Abdul Rahman Shah, 25. According to the police, the incident took place at a hair salon on December 31 in the Chinchoti area of Vasai East, where local residents recorded a video in which the song “Kashmir Bangea Pakistan”, being streamed from a device, is heard. The residents confronted him over the incident and subsequently called the police.
While Shah claimed in the video that the song got played accidentally, the protesting residents alleged that it kept playing for more than a minute. They said that even if it was played accidentally, he should have stopped it as soon as he heard the lyrics.
The police said that during routine patrolling in the area, officers heard the song praising Pakistan being played loudly inside the salon. When they entered inside, they found that the owner was playing the YouTube song ‘Kashmir Banega Pakistan’ on a Bluetooth speaker. The police said the song was played at a high volume and contained content that was against India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity, with the potential to create communal tension.
Based on a complaint filed by the patrolling officer, the Naigaon police registered a case under Section 197(1)(d) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for acts prejudicial to national integrity. Shah was subsequently arrested.
The police said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the act was deliberate and if similar content had been played earlier.