Maharashtra: Yavatmal man held for maligning BJP leader on social media

MUMBAI: An employed man was arrested from Yavatmal district within five days after a senior state BJP leader complained that a person has been allegedly stalking, morphed her photo and is maligning her name on social media platforms for over a week.
Cyber police at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) registered the case on March 2. Accused Rahul Ade claimed that he committed the offence to show his goodwill to an ex-minister to whom he does odd work at his (ex-minister) party office in Ghatanji, Yavatmal District.
Ade is remanded in police custody till March 10.His mobile has been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) to retrieve the offensive contents that he has posted on social media against the senior BJP leader. If punished, Ade will be sent to jail for three years and will be fined Rs 5 lakh.
Cyber police said the victim is from the rival party and Ade wanted to create mileage for the ex-minister by spreading rumours and maligning her on social media. The victim complained to the cyber police after a person allegedly threatened her with dire consequences and also sent vulgar and obscene messages to her through social media for the past few days before the case was registered.
Based on the complaint, DCP (Cyber-Mumbai) Rashmi Karandikar supervised ACP Nitin Jadhav, senior inspector Sharmila Sahastrabhudhe, assistant inspector Poonam Jadhav who tracked Ade with the help of technical analysis. “Ade claimed that he intended to malign the victim. He is in custody till March 10,” said DCP (Cyber-Mumbai) Rashmi Karandikar.
After filing the complaint, the 46-year-old victim appreciated the State police for the prompt action. In the complaint, the victim said, “I have received threat calls and even video threatening to kill me for the last few days. Also, my photos were morphed and it has been uploaded on social media with vulgar and obscene messages.”
The cyber police said the victim has provided details of the person from whom she has been receiving the threat messages. Ade has been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 354 (D) (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and under the IT Act section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).