FB Row: Cops admit mistake, drop case against Maha girls

Mumbai, Nov 29: Finally, Mumbai Police have admitted their "mistake" of arresting two Palghar-based girls. Police have decided to drop the case against the duo, who were arrested earlier for their Facebook comment on Mumbai bandh following the death of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.

"No charge sheet will be filed in the case of arrest of two girls from Palghar. There will be a closure report," director general of police Sanjeev Dayal said on Thursday, Nov 29.

The closure report in a case is usually filed by police before the court concerned when investigators conclude that no case is made out against the accused.

Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan, both 21, were arrested after Dhada had posted a comment on Facebook questioning Mumbai's shutdown over Thackeray's funeral and Rinu had 'liked' the post. The two were later granted bail.

"People like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a bandh for that," Dhada had reportedly written on her Facebook wall. Dhada's friend Rinu "liked" her comment and landed in the legal trouble. The duo were reportedly booked under Section 295(a) of the IPC (for hurting religious sentiments) and Section 66(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. They were later granted bail on surety of Rs 15,000 each. Shaheen, it was said, had withdrawn her comment and apologised before the vandalism took place.

On Wednesday, Sunil Vishwakarma, the 19-year-old boy from Palghar at Thane district in Maharashtra was detained on suspicion of posting an "objectionable" Facebook comment against MNS chief Raj Thackeray. However, he was let off after police found that a "fake account" was used by some persons in the teenager's name.

OneIndia News