Mumbai Police's cyber cell arrested a Delhi advocate, Vibhor Anand, 31, on Thursday for allegedly levelling false allegations and floating conspiracy theories related to the deaths of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and Disha Salian.The police said Anand had allegedly also dragged Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray's name in such theories. Anand has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act for defamation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of trust, among others.
According to police sources, Anand had allegedly posted abusive and defamatory content against the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, as well as Mumbai Police, accusing them of having played a part in the deaths of the late Bollywood actor and his former manager. Anand had uploaded these posts on his Twitter account, which was later suspended and remains so till date.
A police officer said that Anand had uploaded posts and spread fake news to suggest that Aaditya Thackeray had been present at a party attended by celebrity manager Salian and that he played a key role in her death and Rajput's. After such posts were shared on social media, a complaint was registered with the cyber cell of Mumbai Police and the accused was booked.
On Thursday, Mumbai Police reached Anand's office in Delhi and arrested him. He was brought to the city on Friday and produced in a local magistrate court, where he was remanded in police custody till October 19. "The accused was making false allegations by posting offensive and abusive comments on social media against the state's CM, home minister and Aaditya Thackeray and the police force. He has been floating such theories with an intent to create public disorder and disturbance of law, and to promote the feeling of enmity and hatred against the current government," said an official.
Last month, actor-producer Arbaaz Khan had also filed a case in a city civil court against Anand and two others, after they had posted defamatory content against him, Aaditya Thackeray, Sooraj Pancholi and Showik Chakraborty, holding them responsible for Salian's death. The court had directed defendants Vibhor Anand and two others to withdraw, recall, or take down defamatory content published directly or indirectly by any of them.
