Defamatory post: Facebook not cooperating, says police

MANGALURU: The city police today said they were finding it difficult to continue with the probe in a case registered in connection with circulation of 'defamatory' post against Hindu Gods on social media, owing to "non-cooperation" of Facebook authorities.

"The investigation could be completed only if the police get specific information as to on whose Facebook account the case posts appeared," city Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said in a release here.

However, Facebook had not provided the information so far, he said.

We would send yet another reminder to the social networking site to provide the IP addresses from which the posts were sent and if it still refused to respond, they would have no other option but to approach the court, police said.

The police commissionerate here and the district police were jointly conducting the investigation by exchanging information.

A person from Chikkamagaluru, who reportedly had links with those involved in posting the comments, had already been taken into custody, he said.

Obscene, derogatory and derisive remarks were posted on social media, especially against the presiding deity of the temple Goddess Durga Parameshwari at Kateel near here in October last year.

The posts started circulating again in August this year.

After receiving several complaints, Bantwal Town Police registered a case under Section 295 (A) (maliciously insulting the religion or religious beliefs of any class) of IPC and a special team was formed to nab the culprits, Sekhar added.