UP: WhatsApp admin arrested after group member makes ‘derogatory’ remarks against CM Adityanath
The police said Sahabuddin Ansari failed to take action against the member who posted the remarks.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested the administrator of a WhatsApp group after a member allegedly made derogatory remarks about Chief Minister Adityanath.
According to the police, Sahabuddin Ansari was arrested as he did not take action against Muslim Ansari – the person who posted the comment and remains at large.
“He remained silent, instead of deleting it and removing Muslim Ansari from the group,” Station House Officer Ajay Kumar Seth said, according to The Indian Express. “Even though several members in the group raised an objection.”
The alleged remarks were posted in a WhatsApp group called ‘Nagar Palika Parishad Bhadohi’. The unofficial group was used by citizens to share problems in their areas and included local municipality employees.
The police said that they had received a complaint about the alleged remarks by a user on Twitter on August 4.
On August 5, a first information report was registered against Sahabuddin Ansari and Muslim Ansari under Section 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and other sections of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act and Information Technology Act, according to The Indian Express.
Seth said that the police are looking for Muslim Ansari, who runs a business in Nepal.
“We conducted a raid at [Muslim] Ansari’s house in Bhadohi, ” Seth said. “His family members including his wife and children said that he was in Nepal and has not returned for the last three months. Efforts are on to arrest him.”