Thackeray Facebook post: girls arrest termed unjustified

Mumbai:Indian police on Friday submitted investigation report into the arrest of two girls over a Facebook post criticising a shutdown in Mumbai for the funeral of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

The report submitted by Inspector General Konkan said that the arrest of the girls by the police was unjustified.

According to Indian media, the probe report also recommended action against the police officials involved in the arrest of the girls. It said that there must be departmental action against the policemen for arresting them.

Media reports said the report would be sent to the state government, which would take necessary action on the basis of it.

The two girls from Palghar had been arrested after one of them posted a new status on her Facebook account denouncing the Mumbai shutdown after Thackeray's death and the other 'liked' it. They were, however, later released on bail.

The media and the public slammed the police action as unconstitutional and undemocratic with Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju writing off a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in which he flayed the administration for the action taken against the young girls.

He urged the government to order the release of the girls immediately failing which he said he would initiate legal proceedings against the police officers who ordered the arrests.

After much media and public outcry, the girls were let off, albeit on a bail of Rs 15,000 each. What was more shocking was that the girls were arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiments.

The Shiv Sena, however, justified the arrests and refused to apologise for the attack on one of the relatives of the girl who had posted the status on Facebook.