Two police officers suspended for 'Facebook post' arrests

MUMBAI: Just over a week after two young women were arrested in Palghar (Thane district) for their facebook posts against the Shiv Sena, the Maharashtra Government finally took action against police officers who ordered these arrests and suspended them.

State Home Minister R.R. Patil announced on Tuesday that Thane District Superintendant of Police (Rural) Ravindra Sengaonkar and Senior Police Inspector of Palghar police station Srikant Pingale have been suspended following a recommendation to take action aganist them in a report presented by Inspector General (IG)of Konkan range Sukhvinder Singh.

21 year old Shaheen Dhada and her friend Rini Srinivas were arrested in Palghar last week after some Shiv Sena leaders lodged a complaint against them under section 505 of Indian Penal Code for posting comments on facebook against a ‘bandh’ being observed in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra to mark Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray’s demise.

A medical clinic belonging to Shaheen’s uncle was vandalised in Palghar following the facebook posts. The state government had asked IG of Konkan range to submit a report on the arrests. The report clearly stated that the women’s arrests were unjustified and departmental action should be taken against the officers involved.

Speaking to ET state home minister R.R.Patil confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that this action had been taken and two officers were suspended while the Deputy Superintendant of Thane (rural) was issued a warning. The home minister also announced that the state will take up a special programme to educate policemen on IT act in relation to content on social networking sites so that similar incidents don’t occur in the future.

The confidential report submitted by Konkan IG is also believed to have recommended dropping cases slapped on two women according to a home ministry official. The state is likely to submit a closure report and drop the cases against the two women.

In a separate development the Bombay High Court issued orders to transfer the magistrate who sent the two women to judicial custody and later released them on surety of Rs.15,000. Judicial Magistrate Ramchandra Bagade was transferred from Palghar to Jalgaon by the Bombay High Court.