Maha Police Arrest 1 Over Rape Threats to Comedian Agrima Joshua

The arrested person goes by the name Dada Umesh on social media and is a resident of Nalasopara, say police sources.

Stand-up comedians have refused to comment on Agrima Joshua controversy.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

After Vadodara detained YouTuber Shubham Mishra for issuing rape threats against comedian Agrima Joshua, now the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has arrested another individual over the same allegations.

Umesh Dada alias Imtiaz Shaikh had uploaded a video on the internet through his social media accounts in which he used abusive language for the comedian Agrima Joshua over her jokes on the upcoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. This video widely went viral across the country.

Accused has been caught from Nalasopara and arrested in the case.

The Cyber Crime Police Station has registered a case under 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment),354-D (Stalking), 294 (Obscenity), 504 (Intentionally insults to break public peace), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 509 (Intending to insult modesty of a woman), 34 of Indian Penal Code and section 67-A (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) against Umesh Dada alias Imtiaz Shaikh.

Sources confirmed that Shaikh is a friend of Shubham Mishra and that the accused deleted his social media profiles soon after the Vadodara police detained Shubham Mishra on Sunday, 12 July.

The new developments come a day after Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted asking the cyber police and the Mumbai police to take action in the case.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj taught us to respect women. But if someone is using/threatening the wrong language about women, then there is a law for them. @MahaCyber1 verify this video. @CPMumbaiPolice take appropriate legal action against the person in the video as per the rules," he said in a tweet.

Shubham Mishra was held after many Bollywood actors and stand-up comedians raised concerns over the video he posted using foul language and issuing rape threats against Joshua. The National Commission for Women has also taken cognisance of the matter and wrote to the Gujarat Police seeking immediate action against Mishra.