Sikkim: Namchi man arrested for posting video blaming government, insulting Indian Army

A man in Namchi has been arrested after sharing a video on social media that police say could stir up trouble and harm India’s unity. The video, posted on Facebook blamed the Government of India for a recent terror attack in Pahalgam and made insulting comments about the Indian Army and the country’s security forces. The Namchi Police acted took the man into custody and has started an investigation.

The case began on April 28, 2025, when police officers, while checking social media as part of their regular work, found a video posted by a Facebook user named “Kamirul Kamirul.” The account, linked to the URL https://www.facebook.com/kamirul.kamirul.3, shared a video (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1XZdAxR98L/?mibextid=oFDknk) that caused concern. In the video, the user blamed the government for the Pahalgam attack and said disrespectful things about the Indian Army and India’s security system. Police said the video could make people angry, create hatred between groups, and disturb peace in the community. They also warned that such content could threaten India’s safety and unity.

Acting on their own initiative, the Namchi Police Station filed a First Information Report (FIR) numbered 15/2025, dated April 28, 2025. The FIR was registered under two sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Section 152, which deals with actions that endanger India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity, and Section 196(1), which addresses actions that promote enmity between different groups. These laws are part of India’s new criminal code, which replaced older laws in July 2024 to tackle modern challenges like online crimes.

The police identified the person behind the “Kamirul Kamirul” Facebook account as Komirul Haque, a 37-year-old man originally from Bharatgachh, Chopra, Hariharpur, in Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. Haque has been living in Namchi Bazaar, near the Central Bank of India, for the past 9 to 10 years. He works as a casual laborer and mason in and around Namchi. Police arrested Haque and took him into custody. They also seized the mobile phone he used to post the video, which will be examined as part of the investigation.

Haque was detained under two sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which outlines procedures for arrests and investigations. Section 35 of BNSS allows police to arrest someone for a serious offense, while Section 170 permits holding a person in custody if there’s evidence they committed a crime. The case is still under investigation and police are looking into why Haque posted the video and whether anyone else was involved.