Assam Writer Charged With Sedition Over Facebook Post On Maoist Attack

Earlier, Sikha Sarma had faced rape threats on social media over her regular posts against the ruling BJP in the state.

Assam writer Sikha Sarma was arrested on the charge of sedition and sent to judicial custody on Wednesday for her alleged comment in the social media on security personnel massacred by Maoists in Chhatisgarh, police said. Sikha Sarma had on April 5, two days after the brutal killing of the security personnel, allegedly posted on Facebook: "Salaried people cannot be termed martyrs if they die during duty. In that case, an electricity department employee will also be a martyr if he dies due to electrocution. Media do not make the people emotional." The post had stirred controversy with over 11,000 comments and at least 1,600 shares in Facebook. The police registered a case against her under Sections 124A (sedition), 294A (keeping lottery office), 500 (defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) along with Section 45 (residuary penalty) of IT Act after receiving complaints from two BJP workers on Monday.