West Bengal meat-seller in police net over ‘anti-national’ Facebook post

KOLKATA: A meat-seller, Rizwan Qureshi, in his mid-40s, was arrested by Barasat Police in North 24 Parganas on Tuesday for allegedly uploading an anti-national post on social media. Qureshi reportedly shared a distorted image on his Facebook profile, showing the Indian Prime Minister bowing at the feet of his Pakistani counterpart — a post that triggered outrage amid already strained ties between the two nations.Tension gripped the Barasat area soon after the post surfaced. A group of locals reportedly stormed Qureshi's shops, ransacked them, and dragged him out before physically assaulting him. The incident unfolded in full public view. However, by the time police reached the scene, Qureshi fled. He was later arrested from a hideout in Barasat on Tuesday afternoon.Qureshi, a resident of Kadambagachhi in Barasat, ran three meat shops at Champadali More for over a decade. A police team from Barasat police station rushed to the area following reports of unrest. "We have arrested the accused meat seller for posting anti-national content. A separate case was registered in connection with the ransacking of his shops. An investigation is underway," Pratiksha Jharkharia, SP, Barasat told TOI.