KOCHI: The Ernakulam Central police on Tuesday arrested a person who circulated a message on social media calling for protests against Covid-19 protocol at High Court junction here on September 18.
Nizar, 48, of Pallilamkara, Kalamassery, is the arrested, said police. Search is on to nab the key accused, they said.Earlier, the police had registered a case against two Perumbavoor natives Mohammed Asharaf and Rafeek who had circulated a message on September 10 calling for protests against the Covid protocol at the High Court junction.
The accused had circulated the message on a WhatsApp group ‘Against Covid Protocol’, of which Rafeek was the admin, asking people to boycott the safety protocol and take part in the protest at the High Court junction from 3.30 pm on September 18.
The message was posted on the WhatsApp group with slogans like ‘restore all freedom’, ‘boycott Covid-19 protocol’, ‘no lockdown’, ‘no social distance’ and ‘no masks’. The message said the protest was intended to expose the real truth behind the Covid-19 pandemic and that top doctors would be speaking at the event. A few members had shared the WhatsApp message on Facebook and the issue was brought to the police’s notice. A team led by Inspector S Vijayshankar arrested Nizar.