Pune Police Books BJP IT Cell Member for Tweets on Maharashtra CM’s Wife

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

(Photo: Edited by Erum Gour/The Quint)

The Pune Police’s Cyber Crime Branch on Thursday, 6 January, lodged an FIR against Jiten Gajaria, a member of the BJP’s social media cell, for his tweets on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

“An FIR by Pune Cyber has been lodged against Jiten Gajaria and he has been summoned to appear before Pune Cyber today (Friday)," Gajaria's lawyer confirmed.

Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, news agency ANI quoted Pune Police as saying:

"Case registered against one Jiten Gajaria from BJP social media cell for allegedly posting objectionable content against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar; Pune Police on the way to Mumbai to arrest him."

Gajaria has been booked under Sections 153A, 500, 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code.

BACKGROUND

Gajaria, on 4 January, allegedly tweeted a photo of Rashmi Thackeray with the caption “Marathi Rabri Devi,” implying that Thackeray’s wife would take over his post of the chief minister just as Rabri Devi did when Lalu Prasad Yadav was forced to resign over the fodder scam.

The tweet was also perceived as a jab at the chief minister’s recent health issues.

Gajaria was also questioned by the Mumbai Police’s Banda Kurla Cyber Crime Branch on Thursday regarding the tweets. The questioning went on for five hours and he was let go after recording a statement and writing an official apology letter to the chief minister.