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PoliticsKerala SIT makes second arrest in 'kafir' screenshot case
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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Kerala, India, made a second arrest in the controversial 'kafir' screenshot case on July 18, 2026. The arrested individual is R. Amal, a 32-year-old CPI(M) branch member and DYFI regional committee member, who was charged with disseminating communally sensitive material. He allegedly forwarded a controversial screenshot to a WhatsApp group called 'Red Battalion'. Amal was later released on bail. The case originated during the 2024 Vadakara Lok Sabha election campaign, involving a screenshot that portrayed Congress candidate Shafi Parambil as a devout Muslim and CPI(M) candidate K.K. Shailaja as a kafir (non-believer), falsely attributed to a Muslim Youth League worker. The prime accused, Jithin Bhaskaran, also a DYFI leader, is already out on bail. Another DYFI leader, Ribesh Ramakrishnan, was granted anticipatory bail on July 17.
Source report
Amal, a DYFI leader, charged with disseminating communally sensitive material. He was later released on bail.
Published: July 18, 2026 06:49 pm IST | Source: Kozhikode — The Hindu Bureau
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the controversial ‘kafir’ screenshot case made a second arrest on Saturday. The arrested person has been identified as R. Amal, 32, a CPI(M) Kannankuzhi branch member and a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Vadakara Town regional committee member. He was later released on bail.
Officials said Amal had been charged with disseminating the communally sensitive material. According to police sources, he allegedly forwarded the controversial screenshot to a WhatsApp group named ‘Red Battalion’.
Vadakara LS Polls
Earlier, the police had arrested Jithin Bhaskaran, a DYFI leader and the prime accused in the case. He is currently out on bail.
The case, which triggered widespread political controversy in Kerala during the 2024 Vadakara Lok Sabha election campaign, relates to the circulation of a screenshot portraying:
- Congress candidate Shafi Parambil as a devout Muslim
- CPI(M) candidate K.K. Shailaja as a kafir (non-believer)
The post was falsely attributed to Muslim Youth League worker Mohammed Kasim.
According to investigators, Mr. Bhaskaran allegedly sent the controversial screenshot to around 200 recipients using WhatsApp’s broadcast feature and later attempted to destroy all related digital evidence.
On July 17, the Kozhikode Sessions Court granted anticipatory bail to DYFI leader Ribesh Ramakrishnan in the case.
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