Surat businessman gets death threats for uploading Nupur Sharma pix

Three persons were arrested in Gujarat's Surat city on Friday for allegedly threatening a businessman for uploading suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma's photo on Instagram, the police said.

The complainant, who runs an amusement park, allegedly received death threats from seven persons after Sharma's photo was uploaded on the park's Instagram page, said an official.

Search was on for four other accused, said inspector J R Chaudhary of Umra police station where the case was registered.

The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Ayan Atashbajiwala, Rashid Bhura and a woman named Aliya Mohammad, all Surat residents.

All three were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506, 507 (criminal intimidation).

Nupur Sharma, then spokesperson of the BJP, kicked up a huge row last month by making a controversial comment about Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate.

As per the complainant, Sharma's picture was uploaded on the amusement park's Instagram account by the persons who handled its social media marketing.

He deleted the photo immediately and apologised, but the arrested trio and a few others issued him death threats on Instagram and asked  whether he `wanted to live in Surat or not,' as per the First Information Report.

Earlier this month, an Ahmedabad-based lawyer had approached police after allegedly receiving a death threat over a WhatsApp status message supporting Nupur Sharma.