The Mumbai Police arrested a man in connection with the online rape threats issued against Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chauturvedi on Thursday.
The 36-year-old accused is a resident of Ahmedabad’s Bavala area. The man, who has been identified as one Girish Maheshwar, was charged under stringent sections of POSCO Act as the case involved a minor. He is likely to be produce in local courts later in the day.
The police also sought details from Twitter about the user of the said handle and zeroed in on a suspect from Bavala in Ahmedabad, sources said.
"We have arrested a suspect involved in the offensive tweet case registered with Goregaon Police. He would be produced before a local court today," Deputy Commissioner of Police and Mumbai Police Spokesperson, Deepak Deoraj.
"The offence committed by Maheshwari is serious in nature. We are probing why Maheshwari wrote such a tweet. Twitteratis should be aware that making and derogatory or offensive comments leads to Cognisable offence," said another police officer.
The arrest was made after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry. Taking strong views against vicious social media trolling faced by Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajnath Singh-led ministry had asked the Mumbai Police to take action. According to ANI,it had asked Mumbai Police to register a case, identify the person and take legal action. The MHA had also asked Twitter to furnish details of the account used to issue threats.
The Congress leader had filed a criminal complaint against the troller, who has threatened her on Twitter with the rape of her 10-year-old daughter.
‘Extremely relieved,’ Chaturvedi said after the arrest. She said that the arrest would serve as a deterrent for the people and send out a message that ‘this kind of language won’t be tolerated.’
‘Hope speedy justice is served,’ Chaturvedi added.
A Twitter user @GirishK1605, threatened to harm Chaturvedi’s 10-year-old daughter. The Congress leader wrote on Twitter that she would take legal recourse against the abuser. She also wrote on Twitter: “Many thanks to all those who have called and tweeted in support. Grateful. I am convinced that if there is evil in society there is even greater goodness.
PS: If I am a fierce woman, let me assure you am a fiercer mom & will not let those who target my children get away with threats.”
The arrest comes amid the intense trolling of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Over 40 per cent of 1.15 lakh tweeple support the trolls who savagely lit into External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj after her ministry green-lighted the transfer of a passport official when an interfaith couple tweeted to her claiming he harassed them.
Swaraj floated the online poll on Saturday after being assailed over the past week, ‘liking’ some of the offensive posts and tweeting, “Friends: I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets? Please RT.”
While 57 per cent condemned the tweets, the rest agreed with the trolls.
Sticking up for her, Sushma’s husband Swaraj Kaushal, a lawyer and former governor of Mizoram, made a heartfelt appeal to the abusive trolls on Sunday. “Your words have given us unbearable pain,” he replied to a misogynistic tweet from @MG_IIT_Delhi that said he should “beat her up” and “teach her not to appease Muslims”.
Kaushal, sharing a screenshot of the tweet, posted by a person identified as Mukesh Gupta, stated some personal details and the Minister’s credentials to illustrate the respect she commands.
“Such was her devotion to the family. As per my father’s wish, she lit my father’s pyre. We adore her. Please do not use such words for her.” Kaushal tweeted.
“We are first generation in law and politics. We pray for nothing more than her life. Pls convey my profound regards to your wife,” Kaushal added.
He also tweeted that his wife lived in a hospital for a year to care for his mother who was battling cancer before dying in 1993.
