SIT makes second arrest in ‘kafir’ screenshot case

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 pollsEarlier, 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 and CPI(M) candidate K.K. Shailaja as a kafir (non-believer), while falsely attributing the post to Muslim Youth League worker Mohammed Kasim.According to the 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. Published - July 18, 2026 06:49 pm IST