Vasai Laywer Booked For Sharing Dhruv Rathee Video Criticising PM Modi On WhatsApp Group

The Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police booked advocate Adesh Bansode, who is also the Maharashtra secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, last week for sharing a YouTube video by Dhruv Rathee criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a WhatsApp group.

According to an Indian Express report, Bansode shared a link to the video titled "Mind of a Dictator" in the Bar Association of Vasai WhatsApp group on May 20, the day of the 5th phase polling. Along with the link, he wrote a message saying, “Do watch the video before going to vote.”

One of the lawyers in the group filed a written complaint with the police against Bansode for sharing the video. The next day, the MBVV police filed a suo motu complaint and registered an FIR on May 21.

The FIR mentions that the video shared by the accused violated the prohibitory orders of the Commissioner of Police, as its message made false claims about candidates and attempted to influence voters.

In light of the polling, MBVV Commissioner Madhukar Pandey had issued a prohibitory order for the smooth proceedings of the general election between May 18 and May 20.

Advocate Bansode, terming the FIR illegal, stated that the due legal process was not followed by the police before filing the FIR under Section 188 of the IPC.

Senior Police Inspector Raju Mane of Manikpur told Mid Day that all procedures were followed and that the video shared by Bansode was against PM Modi.