Man arrested for insulting martyr

A man was arrested here yesterday for making an insulting Facebook post about a commando who was killed in the counter-offensive operation against terrorists at the Pathankot air base on Sunday.
Police said Anwar Sadiq, 24, was arrested from his home in Malappuram district.
In the Facebook post, Sadiq, under a fake profile, posted insulting remarks about National Security Guard commando Lt Col E K Niranjan and it evoked a heated discussion in the social media.
“He had created a Facebook profile with a fake name and claimed he was a journalist with the Madhyamam Daily. Following a complaint from the newspaper and revelation that there was nobody by that name employed with them, the police probed and arrested him,” said a policed official requesting anonymity.
The official said Sadiq has been charged under Sec 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code as his comments were of an anti-national nature. “He will be produced before a court. He has said that he did not know it was a crime.”
Niranjan was cremated in Kerala yesterday.
At his Elumbulsherry village in Palakkad district, people stayed awake through the night after his body was brought on Monday evening.
Hundreds of people made a beeline to his ancestral home to have one last glimpse of the brave warrior who laid down his life defending his country.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy arrived at the Elumbulsherry village and paid homage to the soldier.
Niranjan’s father Sivarajan was calm. He said: “I am proud of my son as he has laid down his life for the country.”
“His stint with the NSG was to get over in another three months and he had planned to celebrate his daughter’s second birthday as he could not take part in the first birthday celebrations since he was undergoing training in the US.”
Yesterday morning, the elders and religious leaders conducted the last rites and Niranjan was cremated.
Niranjan is survived by his dentist wife Radhika, 18-month-old daughter Vismaya, his father, step-mother and brother Shashank.
The Kerala cabinet will decide today how to compensate the family. The Karnataka government has announced a Rs3mn compensation.