One More Held for Obscene Content about Sonia

Techtree News Staff, Jun 23, 2008 1349 hrs IST

Sajja allegedly posted obscene, derogatory content about the Congress Chief on the same Orkut community christened "I hate Sonia Gandhi".

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It's a little over one month since Gurgaon-based IT professional - Rahul Krishnakumar Vaid (22) was arrested for posting obscene, derogatory content about Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on Google's social networking Web site, Orkut.

And now, the cyber crime cell of the Pune police has arrested one Nithin Chakravarti Suresh Sajja (22) of Begumpeth, Hyderabad for a similar offense. Sajja allegedly posted obscene, derogatory content about the Congress Chief on the same Orkut community christened "I hate Sonia Gandhi".

As in Vaid's case, here too, the post was first spotted by Pune-based Congress activist Amol Bhokare (28), who then lodged a complaint with the Deccan Gymkhana Police in December 2007.

Part of the investigating team, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell), Netaji Shinde, said that Sajja had posted the content using his personal email. Shinde said the police had first asked Google to provide the IP address of the person who had posted the content on Orkut. On obtaining Sajja's email id and postal address, the police lost no time in nabbing him from his Hyderabad residence. Sajja admitted having posted the derogatory message.

Sajja, like Vaid, could be charged under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for posting vulgar content about a public figure on a Web site. If proven guilty, he is liable to face imprisonment for up to five years along with a fine to the tune of Rs 1 lakh.

In both cases however, it is surprising that the perpetrator of the "I hate Sonia Gandhi" community on Orkut walks a free man (or woman). Hating someone, even if that someone is Sonia Gandhi, is a personal opinion, and having a personal opinion about anyone, is not an offence as per the law of the land.

USER COMMENTS

Hmm..Indeed, I hate that brilliant piece of software being used by equally weird group of people. It did make me exasperated enough to post something like this, http://technocreature.blogspot.com/2008/08/why-i-hate-orkut.html

by Vikas, Eastleigh, on Aug 26, 2008 08:28 PM, Report abuse Reply

Indian Constitution gives the freedom of expression to all citizens of India. But it should be remembered that such a freedom should not do harm to another citizen's legal rights. So the defamation of SoniaMadam is wrong. However neglecting such comments would be more correct because it gives unnecessary publicity to such incidents!

by AJIT KANKARIYA, PUNE, INDIA., on Jul 29, 2008 11:45 PM, Report abuse Reply

I think the person who has lodged the complaint did it for his publicity.

by Deepak, Bangalore, on Jun 24, 2008 12:14 PM, Report abuse Reply

If you get a chance to lodge the complaint what kind of publicity you are expecting. I think whatever he has is right. The work she is doing for our country is not even been think by our own country men. How many of us have the guts to say no for the PM seat. Do you?

by Ajay, Pune, on Jun 24, 2008 01:21 PM, Report abuse

This is for Ajay, she had not done any sort of sacrifice... It is just another way to fool people. Though she is not PM she is above PM and PM is his puppet. She is the most powerful person in the govt... So what is the point in sacrificing PM's post?

by Siba, Pune, on Jun 24, 2008 05:14 PM, Report abuse

This reply is for Ajay. What sacrifice she did. As per the law she cant become PM, unless she changes them now using the MPs that she has.

by Navaneeth, Novi, on Jun 25, 2008 03:02 AM, Report abuse

Mr Ajay, She made the 'sacrifice' when there was a lot of opposition to her PMship, even within congress. She used to say a few years ago that she and her children will never come into politics. How come she is the congress prez now? How come rahuol gandhi is making election tours? What work has she done for the country? Can you please elaborate? See the inflation? Even common people will commit suicides now due to starvation. Anyway, if M F Husain can paint goddesses in an obscene manner and get help from the highest court as well, why can't an ordinary person do the same about a controversial 'leader' of foreign origin trying to get control of this country? Personally, I haven't seen the comment / depiction and I do think that an untrue depiction is wrong but that law should apply to every one. There can be many other points but this is a technical forum. please keep political opinions restricted here.

by Kaushik, New Delhi, on Jun 30, 2008 01:17 AM, Report abuse

lol the author here is very funny and I find this article amusing.The very Idea that hating someone should be an offence. posting vulgar comments on site is an offence and even a person outside India can be tried for that, but it depends on what really is the content of the comment. Just to tell all of you posting comment about anyone which harms the image of the person comes under defamation and it does'nt matter whether it is sonia gandhi or someone else. But it is sad that such a matter makes so much news and so many people harrased on the net don't or are not able to do anything about the defaulters, this indeed should be changed.Police should help in such way the public also and not just politicians. I am a law student, usually the police people don't know much about cyber laws and don't lodge a cyber compaint that easily for public, sadly they do too much for a politician.

by Avneet, Chandigarh, on Jun 24, 2008 01:40 PM, Report abuse Reply

have come across communities 'i hate <some country>'.. wat happens to people posting on them? A country any day would be bigger than any other mortal.. how come people r letting them go? priorities hav changed... this is jst a big fat joke of our so called modern community

by anony, somecity, on Jun 26, 2008 02:00 PM, Report abuse

Ah, justice has been served. I believe all those people who post obscene vulgar comments about people should spend at least a week in jail and fined at least Rs. 10000 (1 lakh is a little too much). (Regardless if the person really is a bad person). I hate the way people are crying hoarse that we should have freedom of speech and other crap ! How would anyone feel if someone made vulgar comments about Hindu goddesses ? Will people accept that come under freedom of speech ? And yes I feel MF Hussein should be jailed for his paintings depicting Hindu godesses in an obscene manner.

by Brendon, Mumbai, on Jun 26, 2008 11:35 AM, Report abuse Reply

modern way of publicity easily without knowing the consiquences persuades the humansociety especially youth to indulge in to this type of activities.stringent actions should be taken to the culprits sothat this should be alesson for others who wish to follw them

by satheechandran, vellore, on Jun 25, 2008 06:25 AM, Report abuse Reply

Is Amol Bhokare mad?

by Minil, Chennai, on Jun 24, 2008 05:59 PM, Report abuse Reply

You could sue Google for revealing the privacy of the orkut member without prooving the fact that the content posted was against google guidelines and is an insult to some public figure. LK Advani, many BJP members, Mayawati, Amar Singh have also made derogatory statements against Sonia. Did she invoke Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act ? Oh wait a second. The only difference is vaid, sajja have posted on web, while opposition party figures made verbal statements. Probably madam sonia has to amend the IPC section to include verbal derogatory also along side information technology act.

by sri, hyd, on Jun 24, 2008 05:35 PM, Report abuse Reply

Amazing and unbelievable. I thought India was a democracy.... What happened to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression? A 'mockery of Democracy' is what India is, or 'a dictatorship' in case of arrests for such 'opinions'.

by Mayank, New Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 05:30 PM, Report abuse Reply

We are the educated peoples...everyone have there own opinions ..thats not mean anybody have the rite to misuse the sites..its for our ease for communication and discussion...that's very bad way to make abuse links for someone u don't know and to arrest these type of people is right..i think there should be rule for this..every age of people using these sites..growing mind people can go to wrong way....

by Manjari Chauhan, Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 05:09 PM, Report abuse Reply

I live in america and I will post something obscene tonight about sonia gandhi. lets see how they will areest me

by abhishek singh, chicago, on Jun 24, 2008 04:59 AM, Report abuse Reply

Abhishek, post some. Here in India it is Nazi rule by Madaam Sonia.

by Ax Nair, Nagarcoil, on Jun 24, 2008 01:41 PM, Report abuse

Where ever you live, hands of law would bring you to justice thats for sure.

by Anonymous, Gulf, on Jun 24, 2008 05:01 PM, Report abuse

court has to take legal action agsinst someone posting obscure image, and should punish them.It is insult to our citizen

by abishek shetty, bangalore, on Jun 24, 2008 12:27 PM, Report abuse Reply

How to rise in the congress heirarchy (to a certain limit of course) "Find obscene posts against your Supreme Leader"

by Monia Gandy, Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 12:10 PM, Report abuse Reply

Unbelievable! So one can write derogatory stuff about anybody BUT Sonia Gandhi? And the Congress workers have nothing better to do but trawl the net? AND WORST! Google gives out user information to ruling parties?

by Monia Gandy, Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 12:05 PM, Report abuse Reply

Social Netwroking Sites are a place to put once opinion about any issue or personality, on what detailed basis the arrest was done should be made much clearly, it will be helpful for others to be cautioned in not doing such activities, if it is clear that what are the possible do's and dont's on a Social Networking site, majority of these things happens because of the not known rules of cyber crime. It will be apprciated if some article on cyber crimes do's and dont is published.

by Prisha, Baroda, on Jun 24, 2008 10:46 AM, Report abuse Reply

This is India not Columbia or Corsica. There is a law in place. Hope Ma'am Sonia, Mrs Vadera and Mr. Rahul Gandhi remember that.

by c. Shivkumar, Bangalore, on Jun 24, 2008 08:38 AM, Report abuse Reply

The journalists are the biggest FOOLS .. they sit and write about IT engineers !!!!! The joke.. is me in last 4 yrs have seen 3 companies all MNC's and over $15 billion ones and somehow .. I dont see anything of what they write to be true ... IT ppl overworked ... IT ppl caffine addicts .. IT ppl tht this ... These idiotic ppl shud first come sit wit us for a week n thn write ... Hello sir .. ppl stay back in office coz they r losers who have nothing much to do after going home ... So, they sit and chat and use free phone and net .. and coffee .... I have neva wrked more than 5 hrs on a avg in last 4 yrs .... Same way our author here ... spks o the owner o the community being spared as a big deal .... first learn b4 u write mr. journalist !!!!! whts wrong in him being spared ????? And for I hate sonia /... Wonder how she became the cong supremo ... coz she was married to rajiv gandhi ???? Wht did she know of india to get into indian politics ??? And all Gandhi ppl make so much milage only coz they loaned the GANDHI surname from Mahatma Gandhi ... In villages ppl still think .. SOnia gandhi's some ancestor got us independence and vote for congress ..... What is wrong if you hate her for the way the congress has made her a star...

by Sonia, Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 09:58 AM, Report abuse

Many People in India hates Gandhi & Nehru. we can't put anyone behind bars for their personal Likes or Dislikes.

by Kuldeep, Delhi, on Jun 24, 2008 09:47 AM, Report abuse Reply

These political gundas and their "kutte" will not live peacefully. We have seen many rediculous remarks, fights and act by these gunda Netas. why are they not, at least, arrested? Mayawati has expressed many times that Mulayam singh is Gunda. Why hasn't she been arrested so far?

by TruthSeeker, India, on Jun 24, 2008 08:23 AM, Report abuse Reply

I don't know why the author is surprised about the freedom of the group owner. More importantly I am surprised why the author doesn't pursue more serious journalism rather than sensationalizing the news item by using words like perpetrator. Isn't it bad enough that India doesn't have freedom of speech (even though youths can be found passing lewd marks on women in almost any city and no action is taken against them).

by Borun D. Chowdh, Columbus, on Jun 24, 2008 08:22 AM, Report abuse Reply

Welcome dictatorship in India.

by Sandy, sheffield, on Jun 24, 2008 04:01 AM, Report abuse Reply

Its high time that any uploading in the web must be scrutinized before its put in the web. We need to re-draft our laws to deter such hate and obscene comments.

by Dr.B.Ashok, Bangalore, on Jun 23, 2008 03:38 PM, Report abuse Reply

The mindset that always assumes netizens are at fault for being frank and honest and need to be jailed is somewhat troubling for a democracy. If these people shouting for the blood of a netizen for airing views are not congress apologists, then no wonder India remained under slavery for long..

by Raj, Kumar, on Jun 24, 2008 02:37 AM, Report abuse

I think it is all shet and nothing in this. Just carefull not to abusive people. Simple thing is this first Judge your self and then talk about people.A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction.

by Hikaru, Japan, on Jun 24, 2008 02:31 AM, Report abuse Reply

"In both cases however, it is surprising that the perpetrator of the "I hate Sonia Gandhi" community on orkut walks a free man (or woman)" Why is it surprising??? It should be quite obvious to anyone growing up in a democracy! Posting obscene content is an abusive act, hating someone is not.

by Ameya Sohoni, Mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 06:50 PM, Report abuse Reply

posting i have someone is obscene? are you sure Ms Ameya Sohoni what obscene word means?

by sandhya, Mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 10:51 PM, Report abuse

It's funny...the government enforces laws like this, but everywhere I tour in India I see Child Labor laws not being enforced, I see Police Corruption, Casteism, so forth and so on.

by Joe, touring India, on Jun 23, 2008 06:27 PM, Report abuse Reply

Hey Joe, You are right. we DO NOT have freedom of speech when I read such news. Its really bad. I have read comments in newprint on obama and hillary and wonder is it possible in India? never. I am an Indian and live in US since last 7 years. This comments comes from my experince from both the countries thinking processs and political maturity.

by sandhya, Mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 10:47 PM, Report abuse

So where is the freedom of speech? Is it democracy? Hey congressmans, stop hero worshiping and start taking every criticism in good spirit. In US if you read the hillary or obama followers commnets, you will be surprised and really know what is true freedom of speech.

by sandhya, Mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 10:29 PM, Report abuse Reply

Did any one here the statement "Politicians are gods!!" This can well be a good example. I am not a US Citizen but I appreciate the fact that the country at least gives you the privilege to talk about their leaders freely. There are bumper stickers in the US criticizing Bush. But tell me one person who could put a sticker like that in our country without getting his car damaged by some political buffoon's. I am sorry to say. Our country does not have any freedom of expression. I agree that putting obscene content is wrong. But I am sure the guy would have faced the same if he would have written any thing criticising them

by Nicks, Delhi, on Jun 23, 2008 09:00 PM, Report abuse Reply

I hate sonia too. There is nothing in her loveable. Police are free to arrest me or take action against me - As I really hate Sonia.

by dharmendra muda, mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 08:07 PM, Report abuse Reply

Wow...scary...Orwelian Big Brother type stuff...I'm glad I'm an American and I can post whatever I want about my leaders...after all, they are servants of the people, not the other way around. I hope the Indian government doesn't come along and arrest me just for writing this!

by Joe, touring India, on Jun 23, 2008 06:24 PM, Report abuse Reply

He wasn't arrested for writing his opinion, he was arrested for public abuse. And you (if u ARE an American) can hardly claim to be able to post anything...if you visit a site with an Osama photo you might find urself in Guantanamo tomorrow!

by Ameya Sohoni, Mumbai, on Jun 23, 2008 06:53 PM, Report abuse

It seems posting\painting of obscene materials is reserved for minority activist like MF Hussain. Also if hate campaign is directed against Narendra Modi and his government then it is lawful!

by Riten Dash, Kolkata, on Jun 23, 2008 05:16 PM, Report abuse Reply

The same guy noticed the post!! .. kuch kaam dhandha nahi hai kya? Anyway, posting obscene material is a no-no. But if I am opposed to Sonia Gandhi's politics, then I have the right to freedom of speech.. Its really scary, in future, criticizing politicians would land you up in jail..

by Wilderness, Pune, on Jun 23, 2008 03:46 PM, Report abuse Reply

So much for freedom of speech. Welcome to the police state of the future.

by rexdude, Bangalore, on Jun 23, 2008 03:04 PM, Report abuse Reply

Rexdude, I think you are mistaken. You can say something like "I hate so and so" , but you obviously cannot post vulgar content (in whatever form) about public figures. The law is right here. Imagine yourself in some modified video film on the net.

by Judge, Bangalore, on Jun 23, 2008 03:42 PM, Report abuse