WhatsApp group admin held for user’s ‘derogatory’ post on Yogi

The arrested group admin has been identified as Sahabuddin Ansari, who owns a thread business in Bhadohi, said Ajay Kumar Seth, Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali Police Station.

Yogi Adityanath, Yogi Adityanath remarks, remarks against Yogi Adityanath, up cm Yogi Adityanath derogatory post, Lucknow news, Uttar Pradesh, Indian Express, current affairs

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

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THE BHADOHI POLICE in Uttar Pradesh Sunday arrested a 35-year-old businessman for being the administrator of a WhatsApp group in which an allegedly ‘derogatory’ comment against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was posted. He was arrested because as the administrator he did not take any step against the member who posted the comment, the police said.

The arrested group admin has been identified as Sahabuddin Ansari, who owns a thread business in Bhadohi, said Ajay Kumar Seth, Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali Police Station. “He remained silent instead of deleting it and removing Muslim Ansari (the member who posted the comment) from the group. However, several members in the group raised an objection,” said Seth.

According to the police, the WhatsApp group in which the comment was made is called ‘Nagar Palika Parishad Bhadohi’. It is used by people to share problems of their areas, and has 418 members including Nagar Palika employees and local residents.

The police are now looking for Muslim Ansari. Ansari, who hails from Bhadohi, runs a business in Nepal. “We conducted a raid at Ansari’s house in Bhadohi. His family members including wife and children said he (Ansari) was in Nepal and has not returned home since the last three months. Efforts are on to arrest him,” said Seth.

According to the police, an informer made a complaint on August 4 through X (earlier Twitter) by posting the screenshot of the allegedly objectionable comment in the WhatsApp group. They commenced an inquiry with the help of the cyber cell, and found the complaint to be true. During the inquiry, the police said they found that the comment was shared in other Whatsapp groups also.

The police registered an FIR on Thursday against Sahabuddin Ansari and Muslim Ansari under IPC sections 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). They invoked the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act and Information Technology Act.

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