Police action during violence errupted after a photo of 11 youths wearing shirts bearing the Pakistan national flag went viral on social media at Baidpur village of Nirsa block in Dhanbad, India, on Tuesday (Bijay/ Hindustan Times )

Police arrested five youths on Wednesday on sedition charges at Baidpur village of Nirsa block, for allegedly wearing shirts bearing the Pakistan national flag,.

Rural superintendent of police Aman Kumar said the situation in the area was under control and five persons out of eleven, who were found in a photo wearing shirts bearing the Pakistan national flag have been arrested.

“Heavy police force has been deployed and situation in the village is in control,” he said.

Nirsa police station officer in-charge Sushma Kumari said that sedition charge has been levelled against 11 youths from the village in Nirsa police station. Five of them have been arrested while the hunt for the remaining six is on.

Violence erupted in the village on Tuesday after a photo of 11 youths wearing shirts bearing the Pakistan national flag went viral on social media.

Many in the block were celebrating Indian air force’s attack on terrorist training centres in Pakistan’s Balakot. A group photo of villagers wearing such shirts triggered irritation among them.

Several people of surrounding villages later surrounded the houses of all the 11 youths and vandalised their houses. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the situation.

With the situation tense, Dhanbad deputy commissioner A Dodde, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kishor Kaushal, rural superintendent of police Aman Kumar SDM Raj Maheswaram reached the village and imposed Section 144 in the area.

Police took main accused Muktar Ansari’s parents and a villager in custody before releasing them at late night. Main Accused Muktar Ansari who allegedly posted the photo, lives in Ranchi.

Though police refused to share details of the five arrested, villagers said that Saddam Ansari, Kalam Azad and Amin Ansari were arrested in Chhenaidih village of Jamtara district on Wednesday morning. Main accused Muktar Ansari surrendered at a police station in Ranchi.

After the alleged attack on the houses of the accused, many male members of a particular community left the village, fearing danger. However they returned in the morning after district administration deployed heavy police in the area.