Police identify person behind Facebook post targeting Sadiqali Thangal; ₹15 crore extortion bid alleged

Malappuram: Perinthalmanna police have identified the person allegedly behind a controversial Facebook post containing defamatory content and images targeting Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, the state president of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

According to police, the accused has been identified as Mohammed Roshan, a native of Perinthalmanna, who is also involved in multiple criminal cases, including attempted murder and robbery. A case has been registered against him in connection with the social media post.

As per the FIR, the accused had earlier attempted to blackmail Thangal by demanding ₹15 crore in exchange for not releasing certain photos and videos, which he falsely claimed were related to the IUML leader.

The complaint states that on January 31, around 5 pm, the accused allegedly called Thangal and an associate to a mall in Perinthalmanna. There, he showed them unclear visuals on his mobile phone and claimed they were linked to Thangal. He then demanded ₹15 crore, threatening to release the content on social media if the money was not paid. He also allegedly issued death threats if the matter was reported to the police.

After the demand was refused, the accused is said to have created a fake Facebook account under the name “shanu shanu” and, on March 21, published defamatory content targeting Thangal. The post was later taken down, and the account was deleted.
The party’s state committee subsequently approached the police, leading to the registration of the case.

Police officials confirmed that Roshan’s involvement in the incident has been established and that efforts are underway to apprehend him. Authorities have also taken steps to prevent him from leaving the country. “We have initiated measures to stop him from escaping abroad. He will be taken into custody soon,” a senior police official said.