A 29-year-old man, Mohammed Ali Mohammed Hussain, employed at a mobile service provider outlet in Vashi, has been booked by the Vashi police for allegedly uploading Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's image as his WhatsApp display picture. He has been charged with promoting enmity between different groups.
Members of Sakal Hindu Samaj approached the Vashi police station after the screenshot of the display picture went viral. They also protested outside the Vashi police station, demanding action. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the accused.
Request to Remove Display Picture
Amarjeet Surve, a member of Sakal Hindu Samaj, received the screenshot with Aurangzeb's display picture and contacted the accused, whose contact number was visible in the screenshot. Surve requested the removal of the photo, considering the present situation in the state concerning Aurangzeb.
Despite promising to remove the profile picture, the accused failed to do so. Consequently, Surve and other members of Sakal Hindu Samaj approached the Vashi police to report the incident.
Legal Actions Taken
The police registered a complaint against the accused under sections 298 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“We served Hussain a notice under section 41-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for an appearance before the police officer,” said a police official from Vashi.
The accused was detained, questioned and then released.
