Cyber crime police in Karnataka arrested social media user who goes by the handle @MumbaichaDon, according to multiple posts on X by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. The user, whose social media name is Bhiku Mhatre (based on popular character played by Manoj Bajpayee in 1998 crime thriller Satya), was arrested for sharing an edited clip of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on reservations and posting a tweet on Congress manifesto in which the user attacked the Muslim community.
J Saravanan, a complainant from Srirampura, filed an FIR against @MumbaichaDon over his tweet on the Congress manifesto. According to the FIR, the user's post "tried to trigger communal unrest in the society by intentionally creating hatred between the Hindus and Muslims."
@MumbaichaDon arrested from Goa
The X user was arrested from South Goan city of Ponda was charged under section IT act and also under section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race). Earlier in the day, @MumbaichaDon shared a screenshot of a mail from X's legal team that it received a court order from Magistrate Bengaluru City regarding his account.
The user maintained that he "never" wrote anything that "may be called as inflammatory or communal". @MumbaichaDon also alleged that Congress was trying to "intimidate" him for "speaking truth".
BJP leaders react over social media user's arrest
BJP leaders, including Union minister Smriti Irani, were quick to react to the arrest and assured of legal help.
Amit Malviya, the BJP's IT cell chief, accused the Congress government in Karnataka of being "intolerant of dissent".
Tejasvi Surya, BJP MP from Bangalore South, said "we will fight this, both inside courts and outside."
Maharashtra BJP leader Vinod Tawde, too, expressed shock over @MumbaichaDon's arrest.
No further details on @MumbaichaDon's arrest have been released.
