Cops angry after TISS student visits police station with 'dead' phone

Urvashi Chudawala's post in support of Sharjeel Imam

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) student Urvashi Chudawala, who has been underground for some time, on Thursday visited the Azad Maidan police station where her in-camera statement was recorded.

Chudawala has been under the scanner for her support to Imam Sharjeel, a student who had allegedly made inflammatory speeches over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). At the police station her mobile phone was checked. "It was important for us to scan her phone to conduct the panchnama but her phone was almost dead. We tried to charge it but it took a long time," said a police officer. They suggested she revisit the station on Friday with a charged mobile phone.

Investigators told mid-day that Chudawala, on January 31, had posted an image with a message saying 'release Sharjeel Imam unconditionally' and a day after, she joined the LGBTQ protest raising the slogan 'Sharjeel tere sapne ko hum manzil tak pahuchaenge'.

"We wanted to scan her Facebook and other social media accounts to know where she found the image. But, she claimed that she had deactivated the account after the controversy," he added.

"If she visits the police station on Friday after deleting the controversial post, her intention will be questioned but it can be retrieved at the forensic laboratory," said the officer.

The officer said, "She told us that the matter had been blown out of proportion and her intention was not to support an anti-national person."

"We are probing the matter to know who helped her remain underground after she was booked under sedition. She didn't tell us anything. But those who helped her stay underground can be held responsible under section 34 of the IPC," the officer added.

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