Gyanvapi mosque case: Delhi University professor arrested over social media post about ‘shivling’
Delhi: On Friday, Delhi University professor Dr. Ratan Lal was arrested for allegedly making a malicious post on Facebook intended to outrage religious feelings, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North, Sagar Singh Kalsi said.
In a statement, DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said, “A complaint was received Tuesday night against Ratan Lal, professor of history at Hindu College, DU, regarding a deliberate and malicious post on Facebook that was intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting a religion/religious beliefs. A case under IPC sections 153-A/295-A has been registered at the Cyber Police Station, north district.”
The case was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate act to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Cyber Police Station North District and an investigation has been taken up.
Police said that the social media post referred to claims about a ‘Shivling’ found inside Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque complex.
According to the Delhi Police, a complaint was received on May 17 night against Ratan Lal regarding a deliberate and malicious post on Facebook intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting a religion/religious beliefs. The complaint was filed by a Delhi-based lawyer.
The lawyer, in his complaint, said that the post was about the ‘Shivling’ found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex which is a sensitive issue in nature and the matter is pending before the court.
(Smit)
