The crashed chopper that was carrying CDS General Bipin Rawat
By Shankar Raj*
Bengaluru: A case has been registered in Mangaluru by the police against two unknown persons for their posts on social media ‘celebrating the death of CDS [Chief of Defence Staff] and also expecting the death of security advisor [Ajit] Doval’.
Mangaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Hariram Shankar IPS confirmed to the media that two Facebook accounts are under the scanner of the police and a case has been registered against unknown persons. It is now being verified if the accounts are fake or original.
The case follows a complaint filed by one Sushanth Poojari. He claimed that posts ‘celebrating the death of late CDS and also expecting death of security advisor Doval’ were uploaded on the Facebook wall of two users.
The accused have been booked under Section 505(1)(b) (circulating a statement with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) of the Indian Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has instructed the police to identify and initiate legal action against irresponsible social media posts rejoicing over the demise of CDS Bipin Rawat in a military chopper crash.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the police chief was directed to take legal action against those who have made irresponsible comments regarding a person who led the country’s armed forces.
General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other defence personnel were killed when a Mi17V5 helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, December 8.
*Shankar Raj is former Editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
