Mumbai: College dropout held for posting obscene comments, death, rape threats to scribe

The Mumbai Cyber Police have arrested a man from Bhopal on Thursday for allegedly posting abusive comments and death/rape threats against a Delhi-based journalist. While a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in late January, police are investigating the matter further and more arrests are likely to be made.

During the investigation into the scribe's complaint, one of the 26,000 obscene comments made against the journalist, was traced to a Bhopal-based college dropout, identified as Siddharth Shrivastav, 24. In the comment, Shrivastav had threatened the journalist over her work, issuing her a last warning and posting sexually explicit comments. Subsequently, upon learning of Shrivastav's role, the police served him a notice.

An official said that Shrivastav, who works as a salesman in a private firm, surrendered himself before the Cyber police. He has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code sections for sexual harassment, defamation, criminal intimidation, word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and sections of the Information Technology Act.

In January, the Mumbai Cyber Police registered a case against some social media accounts for allegedly posting a morphed fake tweet that read ‘I hate India and I hate Indians’, which was followed by threats and posting of obscene comments and death threats against a Delhi-based journalist.

Subsequently, on Thursday, the journalist tweeted, “Mumbai cybercrime has made the first arrest in the rape and death threats issued to me. A young man has been arrested from Bhopal for giving me death threats. Hugely impressed with the alacrity of @MumbaiPolice and @CPMumbaiPolice who had promised me justice without delay.”

Another tweet of the scribe read, “I have been told that the other perpetrators and instigators will also be arrested shortly. I would take this moment to urge other women to come forward and fight this harassment and intimidation. We are equally responsible in creating a safe space for women."