Today's Hindu reports of a "Student arrested for ‘posting objectionable’ text on President".
The Delhi Police arrested an engineering student of the city on Wednesday evening for allegedly creating the profile of President of India Pratibha Patil, with some “objectionable” text and posting it on the web.
While the report does not describe the "objectionable text", it raises an important question on our ways in this forum - while commenting, what is the line you don't want to cross? Where are the limits, those invisible and fluid boundaries?
I thought they could not arrest you for just posting ctiticism against or about someone, whoever that person might be. Is just 'alleging' sufficient cause for arrest? Is there no need for a prior legal course of action (even if it was a case of defamation)? Unless the authorities decided to invoke 'national security' clause, I guess.
Ravi
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"objectionable text" - described here
"Police sources told TOI that in February-March this year, Avinash created an account in the President’s name on a social networking site. Though the President’s security cell was aware of this, they ignored it for some time, till obscene posts began to be uploaded on it."
More here - http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2009/07/31&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00100&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
The question is if he was the one who uploaded these obsene posts or was it someone else posting on the profile that he created (in which case should be be liable for such a crime)?
Constructive criticism should never be penalized, in fact, it should be encouraged - but posting obscene stuff about someone else is indeed a crime and should be strongly dealt with.