Thane: 16-year-old boy detained for posting derogatory comments about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Instagram

A 16-year-old boy has been detained for allegedly posting derogatory comments about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Instagram.

The Bhiwandi police arrested him on Sunday. Navnath Dhavle, deputy commissioner of police, Zone-2, said, "Uday Pawar, an auto-rickshaw driver and resident of Kacheri Pada in Bhiwandi, found an offensive comment against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj posted by 'avesh_id' on Instagram at midnight on May 5. Pawar complained about a minor at the Shantinagar police station in Bhiwandi along with members of Bajrang Dal."

Dhavle added, "After the probe, we found that the post had been uploaded on Instagram by a minor. Following this, we registered an FIR against him under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153A and 295A for outraging religious feelings and creating enmity between different communities. We detained the minor."

Minor was not instigated by anyone, police reveals

When asked whether the minor was provoked, Shankar Indulkar, senior police inspector at Shantinagar police station, replied, "During the initial investigation, we did not find that the minor was instigated by someone to post the derogatory remarks. The boy was presented in a juvenile court and he has been detained."

One officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "If the minor boy is released, there is a possibility that a group of people from Hindu outfits can target him for his derogatory post on the Hindu warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."

The post was shared on social media platforms, tagging the police and asking them to take action against the person.