The cyber cell of arrested a 27-year-old man for cyberbullying Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, using derogatory language against her on a social media platform. Police said, the case was registered against the accused after he posted inappropriate comments against a number of Bollywood celebrities on a video shared by Sinha on cyberbullying and online harassment. Shashikant Gulab Jadhav, 27, was arrested from Aurangabad and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act.
Recently, Sinha had been subjected to online negativity after she uploaded a video in association with Mission Josh to spread awareness on cyber security, impact of online harassment and legal options to deal with such cases. However, despite the video's message to stop cyberbullying, some users continued to abuse and threaten her. It was then that the actress' team approached cyber crime branch of Mumbai Police and a case was registered against the perpetrators on August 14.
Police immediately swung into action and traced Jadhav, who worked at a city-based restaurant but had gone to his hometown in Aurangabad, on the basis of his social media profile and Internet Protocol (IP) address. During the investigation it was revealed that Jadhav had cyber bullied other Bollywood personalities in the past. While Jadhav's arrest was the first in this case, action against other bullies is underway.
Rashmi Karandikar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) said, "We have arrested the accused. Mumbai police cyber cell continues to play a role in making the internet a safe place. Also, women's safety has always been our priority. Cyber bullying and cyber stalking are punishable offences. We should all work in the direction of making the internet safe for all."
Soon after Jadhav's arrest, Sinha took to her Instagram and said, "Many thanks to the Mumbai Police and cyber crime branch for their support and promptness in this endeavour to clean up our online world. I hope this gives courage to those going through the online harassment to take the necessary steps."
