Mumbai police arrest man for allegedly defaming Maharashtra CM Fadnavis on Twitter

Hatekar posted a picture of the CM's family in Goa from 2011-12, claiming it to be a picture of them holidaying in US at present

Arrest via Shutterstock

The Mumbai police has arrested a person for allegedly defaming Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently, by tweeting his family photograph.

The accused, who has been identified as Ajay Hatekar, was arrested by the suburban Oshiwara police, senior police inspector of the Oshiwara police station, Subhash Khanvilkar told PTI.

Hatekar had allegedly posted a photograph of the Maharashtra CM's family enjoying a vacation in Goa, in 2011-2012, on Twitter, and suggested that it is a photograph of the CM's family holidaying in the USA at present, the police officer said.

According to the police officer, Hatewar allegedly posted the photo on social networking site Twitter at 8.30 a.m on July 2, by linking it to the Maharashtra CM's recent visit to the USA.

Later, a police complaint was lodged by Sanjay Pandey, a BJP worker, alleging that Twitter had tried to malign the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the officer said.

Pandey, who resides in Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri (West), said that he had lodged the complaint after receiving a WhatsApp message from a friend, Raju Yadav, who had provided him the hyperlink of the tweet, Khanvilkar said.

The police officer said that the tweeted photograph was of the Maharashtra CM with his family on a yacht in Goa, which was clicked in the year 2011-2012.

However, after posting this photo on Twitter, Hatewar allegedly tweeted that the Maharashtra CM was enjoying a holiday in the USA, where he had gone to seek foreign direct investment, the officer said.

Meanwhile, the accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Infotech Act, the police officer added.