Sharjeel Imam was arrested from Bihar last week for his alleged remarks (File)
The Mumbai Police are searching for a Tata Institute of Social Sciences student, Urvashi Chudawala, against whom a sedition case has been filed for shouting slogans in support of jailed JNU student Sharjeel Imam at an LGBTQ event in the Maharashtra capital. Case against 50 others has also been filed for supporting Imam, who last month triggered a national uproar by allegedly talking about severing Assam from the country.
Chudawala is accused of raising the slogan: "Sharjeel tere sapno ko hum manzil tak pahuchaenge (we will convert your dreams into reality)" at the 'Queer Azadi' rally on February 1 in Mumbai.
The police said Chudawala has not returned to her hostel for the last two days, adding her phone was also unreachable. Her mother, Rina Chudawala today visited the Azad Maidan police station. Later she told reporters that someone instigated her to raise the slogans.
"She has made a mistake but someone instigated her. We are also worried about Urvashi, she is not at home. She is a bright student, and we want her to come home as soon as possible," she was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
The case was registered on BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's complaint.
"I filed a complaint with Mumbai Police on anti-national demonstration/slogans in support of Sharjeel Imam during 1 Feb LGBT program. The Thackeray government asked police not to register FIR. I will start 'DHARNA' at Azad Maidan Police Station if action not taken in 3 days," he tweeted today.
Earlier, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that action will be taken against her after which the case was filed.
The organisers of the rally, meanwhile, have distanced themselves from the slogans. "These slogans, performances, and protests happened abruptly and precipitously without the consent of the organisers," they said in a statement.
Four teams have been found to trace the student.
The police have written to TISS to provide information clues regarding her whereabouts.
Sharjeel Imam was arrested from Bihar last week for his alleged remarks at Aligarh Muslim University on January 16.