City police team conducts search in Facebook’s Mumbai office

It is in connection with a derogatory post against Kateel temple

The city police team at the Facebook office in Mumbai.

A team of Mangaluru city police with assistance from Mumbai police on Thursday carried out searches in the office of Facebook in Mumbai in connection with a case related to a derogatory post against Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple.

The three-member Mangaluru City police team, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Valentine D’Souza, has gone to Mumbai with a search warrant issued by a city magistrate court.

The search commenced on Thursday and it will continue on Friday too, Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar told

The Hindu .

In August, the Bantwal Town police

suo motu registered a case against the derogatory posts made on Facebook in October 2015. The city’s Mangaluru North police too registered a case and a joint investigation commenced. The police arrested Shafi Bellare (30), a native of Bellare, for his alleged involvement in posting the derogatory contents on Facebook.

Mr. Chandra Sekhar said that as part of investigation, the police have sought specific information from Facebook authorities about the derogatory posts. Despite notices, Facebook officials failed to provide information and they did not cooperate with the investigation team.

As the information sought by the police was crucial, the city police team has gone to Facebook’s main office in Mumbai, Mr. Chandra Sekhar said.