In an interesting U-Turn to April 16 social media hartal in Kerala, the Malappuram police have recorded the arrest of 5 men including and ex RSS worker. The four others arrested were identified as N J Siril, P Sudheesh, Gokul Shekhar, and V Akhil.

Amarnath Baiju, an Ex RSS worker have been identified as the kingpin of the social media harthal.

Amranth who parted ways with the RSS 3 months back have recently joined the Shiva Sena. Amarnath along with few other formed whatsapp groups to mobilise youth to protest against Kathua rape incident. A whatsapp group named 'voice of truth' have been identified as the epicentre of the hoax harthal call.

A message was spread on various social media platforms that a state-wide hartal against the Kathua incident would be observed, urging people to join the protest. Crime branch's cyber wing found that the call for hartal was uploaded from a proxy server and it was shared by 3000 active users.

A 'hoax' hartal was called on social media to protest the alleged gangrape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua region. Earlier, the police investigation revealed that a call for hartal was uploaded on the social media from a proxy server, mainly to disrupt communal harmony in the state.

Over 1000 men, most of them members of Muslim outfits were arrested by the state Police for rioting and vandalism

The BJP and RSS had earlier termed this as 'Anti Hindu Harthal' and demanded NIA probe. Many right-wing outfits even carried out protest marchs, trying to polarize the violence.

Also read: Keralas anonymous hartal was a proxy war by radical groups

Also read: After Unnao, Kathua rape case, another 17-year-old blind girl raped twice

Also watch: Death penalty cleared by Cabinet for rapists of children below age 12