New Delhi: While online shopping has become a convenient and widely used option for people across the country, in some instances, it has also become a platform for extremism and religious discrimination. On March 6, a Delhi resident faced religious bias while attempting to buy a server rack on OLX. This led him to file a formal complaint with the Jamia Nagar Police Station.
The complainant, Tariq Abdullah, shared his story with Beyondheadlines that he had contacted a seller on OLX to purchase the server rack. The initial discussions revolved around the price, but soon after, the seller rejected the deal based on religious grounds and started making offensive and communal comments. The seller explicitly stated, “I am a hardcore Hindu and cannot tolerate Muslims, this race is untrustworthy. I don’t believe in this…”
Shocked by such hateful comments, Tariq Abdullah decided to take immediate action. He filed a complaint at Jamia Nagar Police Station, accusing the seller of religious discrimination, hate speech, and incitement to communal discord.
Tariq said, “I’ve filed a complaint because such actions cannot be ignored. I hope authorities take this seriously. We need to ensure that digital platforms and the law work together to prevent such blatant bigotry.”
In his complaint, Tariq Abdullah referred to several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including:
— Section 153: Promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion (non-bailable)
— Section 295: Attempt to hurt religious sentiments (non-bailable)
— Section 316: Statements that promote hatred and hostility (non-bailable)
— Section 317: Derogatory remarks against a particular community (non-bailable)
— Section 318: Creating communal tension (non-bailable)
Additionally, the case falls under Sections 66A and 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as the offensive messages were sent electronically.
Following the incident, social media users have expressed outrage, demanding legal action against such extremist and discriminatory behavior to prevent future occurrences of similar nature.
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