Man who started hate campaign against Kerala student Hanan Hamid arrested

Noorudeen Sheikh, the man who did a Facebook live claiming Hanan was a fraud, is being questioned.

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The Kerala police on Saturday took into custody a person alleged to have been the key tormentor of Hanan Hamid, the 19-year-old Kerala student. Hanan, who had become an instant hit on the internet after she was featured in a newspaper as a student who sold fish after college hours. But vicious trolling started within a few hours with baseless allegations doing the rounds that she was only putting up an act.

Noorudeen Sheikh, the man who did a Facebook live claiming Hanan was a fraud, is being questioned and a First Information Report has been registered against him, a police officer said. He has been booked under various sections of the IT Act, besides provisions attracting non-bailable offences.

Hanan Hamid, a final year graduate student of Chemistry studying in a college near Kochi had attracted attention after it came to light that she was eking out a livelihood by selling fish and also doing odd jobs as a junior artiste in films.

All Hamid was doing was trying to take care of an ailing mother, who has been separated from her husband.

It was Sheikh who had first taken selfies with Hamid when he came to know of her struggles. Later, however, he went hammer and tongs against her and posted the pictures questioning her condition, after she was also seen in a few pictures with superstar Mohanlal.

Soon Sheikh's post went viral and Hamid was slammed as "a fake and doing all she did only to impress superstar Mohanlal in order to land a role with his son Pranav Mohanlal in an upcoming film.”

Speaking to the media, after hearing of his arrest, Hamid said she is very happy to hear the news.

“Now, I have realised that with the support I am getting from the government and my college, I have got so many guardians," said Hamid.

The police, keeping track of the social media posts, have said more people who have abused the college girl would also face consequences.

It was after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Facebook post supporting Hamid on Friday that the police registered a case against the cyber bullies.

On Saturday, Vijayan, speaking to reporters in Kochi said: "The thumb rule for those on the social media is to be careful with their statements."

The Left has also come out in support of Hamid as also the Women's Commission.

(With IANS Input)