Indian arrested for naming village ‘mini Pakistan’

BHOPAL: A Madhya Pradesh man who named his village as a ‘mini Pakistan’ has been arrested in Rewa district, 500 km from state capital Bhopal, police said who have also directed the passport department to cancel his immigration document.

Abrar Khan, 32, posted his photograph on his Facebook account with a caption, “See Amreti - a Mini Pakistan”. Rewa district’s superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar Singh said on Thursday.

Abrar Khan reportedly told the police that he worked in an oilfield in Oman and returned to his village during the lockdown a few months earlier. Singh said Khan told the police that “it was a casual remark” as neighbouring villages used to taunt his Muslim-dominated village as “a mini Pakistan”.

“We are also investigating the details of those who liked his post. We will issue a warning to villagers (in the neighbouring villages) not to indulge in such activities (call this village mini-Pakistan),” the district police chief said. Singh said the police has seized his passport and asked the passport office to cancel the travel document.